BILL NO. 192

(as introduced)

1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2026

 

Private Member's Public Bill

 

Stronger Regulation of Lobbyists Act

 

Paul Wozney
Sackville–Cobequid

First Reading: February 23, 2026

(Explanatory Notes)

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

Explanatory Notes

Clause 1 sets out the short title of this Act.

Clause 2 amends the Lobbyists' Registration Act by adding definitions of "designated public-office holder" and "lobbyist" and removing the definition of "Registrar".

Clause 3

(a) removes the provision respecting appointment or designation of a Registrar and provides for the appointment of a Lobbying Commissioner;

(b) provides that the Lobbying Commissioner is an officer of the House of Assembly;

(c) provides for the revocation of the Lobbying Commissioner's appointment in limited circumstances;

(d) provides for the payment of the Lobbying Commissioner's salary; and

(e) requires that the Lobbying Commissioner be provided with necessary staff and resources.

Clause 4

(a) requires the Lobbying Commissioner to develop a code of conduct for lobbyists;

(b) prohibits a lobbyist from offering gifts to designated public-office holders in certain circumstances; and

(c) prohibits a former designated public-office holder from engaging in lobbying for a prescribed period following the date on which the former public-office holder ceased to be a public-office holder.

Clause 5

(a) requires the Lobbying Commissioner to establish a procedure for receiving and investigating complaints;

(b) enables the Lobbying Commissioner to conduct an investigation, either following a complaint or on the Lobbying Commissioners own initiative, and provides the Lobbying Commissioner with certain powers, privileges and immunities in respect of an investigation; and

(c) enables the Lobbying Commissioner, upon determining that there is a contravention of the Act or the regulations, to impose monetary penalties and to prohibit a person from lobbying for a period not exceeding two years.

Clause 6 creates additional offences.

Clause 7 requires the Lobbying Commissioner to provide an annual report to the House of Assembly and sets out the required content of the annual report.

Clause 8 adds to the regulation-making powers of the Governor in Council.

Clause 9 replaces all references to "Registrar" with "Lobbying Commissioner".

Clause 10 provides that the money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose.

Clause 11 provides that this Act has effect on and after January 1, 2027.

An Act to Amend Chapter 34
of the Acts of 2001,
the Lobbyists' Registration Act

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Stronger Regulation of Lobbyists Act.

2 Section 2 of Chapter 34 of the Acts of 2001, the Lobbyists' Registration Act, is amended by

(a) adding immediately after clause (a) the following clause:

(aa) "designated public-office holder" means
(i) the Premier or another minister of the Crown,

(ii) an individual employed in the office of the Premier or another minister of the Crown,

(iii) a deputy minister or chief executive officer appointed under the Public Service Act,

(iv) a chief executive officer of an agency, board or Crown corporation,

(v) a member of a Premier-designate's transition team, or

(vi) a member of a class of public-office holders designated by the regulations;

(b) adding immediately after clause (c) the following clause:

(ca) "lobbyist" means
(i) a consultant lobbyist within the meaning of subsection 5(1), or

(ii) an in-house lobbyist within the meaning of subsection 6(1) or 7(1);

and

(c) striking out clause (g).

3 Section 4 of Chapter 34 is repealed and the following Sections substituted:

4 (1) Upon consultation with the leaders of the recognized parties of the House of Assembly and with the unanimous recommendation of all members of the Assembly's Internal Affairs Committee, the Governor in Council shall appoint a person to be the Lobbying Commissioner.

(2) The Lobbying Commissioner is an officer of the House of Assembly.

(3) The Lobbying Commissioner is independent of Government direction and is not under the supervision of any minister of the Crown.

(4) Subject to subsections (5) and (6), the Lobbying Commissioner holds office during good behaviour for a term of seven years.

(5) The Lobbying Commissioner, on the expiry of a first term of office, may be reappointed for one additional term not exceeding seven years.

(6) The Governor in Council may revoke the appointment of the Lobbying Commissioner only for cause or incapacity on the passing by the House of Assembly of a resolution carried by a vote of two thirds of the members voting thereon.

4A (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Lobbying Commissioner shall be paid remuneration within, but at or above the mid-point of, the annual salary rates for deputy ministers set out in the pay plan for deputy ministers together with any other remuneration payable to deputy ministers, which remuneration must be adjusted yearly by a percentage equal to the average increase for the remuneration of the deputy ministers.

(2) The salary of the Lobbying Commissioner may not be reduced except on the passing by the House of Assembly of a resolution carried by a vote of two thirds of the members voting thereon.

(3) The Lobbying Commissioner is entitled to all rights, privileges and benefits, including pension benefits, to which deputy ministers are entitled.

(4) The Lobbying Commissioner is an employee within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation Act.

4B The Lobbying Commissioner must be provided with such staff and resources as are necessary for the proper performance of the Lobbying Commissioner's functions.

4 Chapter 34 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 14 the following Sections:

14A The Lobbying Commissioner shall develop a code of conduct for lobbyists.

14B A lobbyist shall not offer a gift to a designated public-office holder if the offer could reasonably be considered an attempt to

(a) influence the designated public-office holder; or

(b) create a sense of obligation on the part of the designated public-office holder.

14C No former designated public-office holder shall engage in lobbying during the prescribed period following the date on which the former designated public-office holder ceased to be a designated public-office holder.

5 Chapter 34 is further amended by adding immediately following Section 17 the following Sections:

17A The Lobbying Commissioner shall establish a procedure for receiving and investigating complaints of contraventions of this Act or the regulations.

17B (1) The Lobbying Commissioner may, on receipt of a complaint or on the Lobbying Commissioner's own initiative, conduct an investigation to determine whether any provision of this Act or the regulations has been contravened.

(2) For the purpose of an investigation, the Commissioner has all the powers, privileges and immunities of a commissioner appointed under the Public Inquiries Act.

17C (1) Where the Commissioner determines that a person has contravened this Act or the regulations, the Commissioner may impose an administrative penalty on the person or make an order prohibiting the person from lobbying for a period not exceeding two years, or both.

(2) An administrative penalty imposed under subsection (1)

(a) in the case of a first violation, may not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars; and

(b) in the case of a second or subsequent violation, may not exceed one hundred thousand dollars.

(3) In determining the penalty for a contravention of this Act or the regulations, the Lobbying Commissioner shall consider

(a) the gravity of the contravention;

(b) whether the contravention was intentional or negligent

(c) any history of non-compliance by the person on whom the penalty is to be imposed; and

(d) deterrence and the need to promote compliance with this Act and the regulations.

(4) No person shall engage in lobbying while subject to an order prohibiting the person from lobbying.

6 Subsection 18(1) of Chapter 34 is amended by striking out "or subsection 7(2), (3), (4) or (5)" and substituting ", subsection 7(2), (3), (4) or 5, Section 14C or subsection 17C(4)".

7 Chapter 34 is further amended by adding immediately following Section 18 the following Section:

18A (1) The Lobbying Commissioner shall report annually to the House of Assembly on the exercise of the Lobbying Commissioner's functions under this Act.

(2) The annual report of the Lobbying Commissioner must include

(a) the number of consultant lobbyists filing returns with the Lobbying Commission under Section 5 in the year and the subject-matters in respect of which such consultant lobbyists have undertaken to lobby;

(b) the number of in-house lobbyists filing returns with the Lobbying Commissioner under Section 6 in the year and the subject-matters in respect of which such in-house lobbyists have lobbied or are expected to lobby;

(c) the number of in-house lobbyists in respect of which returns were filed with the Lobbying Commissioner under Section 7 in the year and the subject-matters in respect of which such in-house lobbyists have lobbied or are expected to lobby;

(d) the number of investigations commenced in the year;

(e) the number of investigations completed in the year;

(f) the number and nature of administrative penalties and prohibition orders issued in the year; and

(g) the Lobbying Commissioner's recommendations for improving the administration of this Act, if any.

8 Subsection 19(1) of Chapter 34, as amended by Chapter 30 of the Acts of 2002, is further amended by

(a) relettering clause (a) as clause (aa);

(b) adding immediately before clause (aa), as relettered, the following clause:

(a) designating a class of public-office holders for the purpose of subclause 2(aa)(vii);

and

(c) adding immediately after clause (e) the following clauses:

(ea) respecting the offer of gifts to designated public-officer holders, including prescribing types of gifts that may be offered or may not be offered, prescribing the maximum value of a gift or class of gift that may be offered and prescribing the maximum cumulative value of gifts that may offered within a specified period;

(eb) prescribing periods for the purpose of Section 14C, including prescribing different periods applicable to different classes of designated public-office holder and prescribing different periods for different subject-matters, if

(i) a prescribed period is not less than twelve months and does not exceed twenty-four months, and

(ii) the prescribed period for subject-matter dealt with by a designated public-office holder while acting in that role exceeds the prescribed period for other subject-matter;

9 Chapter 34 is further amended by striking out "Registrar" wherever it appears and substituting in each case "Lobbying Commissioner".

10 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

11 This Act has effect on and after January 1, 2027.

 

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