Am I a Lobbyist?

Please read through the questions in each section below.

Section 1

Are you:

• Communicating to a meeting of Council or a Committee of Council?
• Communicating during a public process such as a public meeting, hearing, consultation, open house or media event held or sponsored by the City or a public office holder or related to any application?
• Requesting information?
• Using the compliments and complaints program?
• Communicating about the enforcement, interpretation or application of any Act or by­law?
• Communicating about the implementation or administration of any policy, program, directive or guideline?
• Communicating about a personal matter?
• Communicating with respect to an application for a service, grant, planning approval, permit or other license or permission:
  • with an employee of the City or a Member of Council if the communication is restricted to providing general information on an application, including a proposed or pending application, or to inquire about the application review process;
  • with an employee of the City if the communication is part of the normal course of the approval process
  • with respect to planning and development applications, if the communication is with an employee of the City who has a role in the processing of a planning application during the formal pre­application consultation, the filing of the application and the application review process, including the preparation of development agreements
• Submitting a bid proposal as part of the procurement process and any communication is with designated employees of the City as permitted in the procurement policies and procurement documents of the City?
• Responding to a public office holder in direct response to a written request from the public office holder?
• Communicating to a Member of Council as a constituent of the Member of Council, or as an individual on behalf of a constituent of the Member of Council on a general neighbourhood or public policy issue?
• Communicating as part of City ­initiated consultative meetings and processes where you are participating as a stakeholder?
• Communicating as a voluntary unpaid lobbyist on behalf of a not-for-profit group or organization?

If you answered yes to any of the questions in section 1, you are not a lobbyist.

If you answered no to any of the questions in section 1, please proceed to section 2.

Section 2

Are you acting in your public capacity as a:

• Member of the Senate, House of Commons of Canada, legislative assembly of a province, the council or legislative assembly of a territory, or as a person on the staff of those members?
• Member of a First Nation council as defined in the Indian Act or of the council of an Indian band established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, or a person on the staff of those members?
• Employee or consultant retained by the Government of Canada, the government of a province or territory, a First Nation council, a federal or provincial crown corporation or other federal or provincial public agency?
• Member of a council or other statutory body, including a local board, charged with the administration of the civil or municipal affairs of a municipality in Canada other than the City, or a person on staff of the members, or officers or employees of the municipality or local board?
• Member of a national or sub­national foreign government, or a person on the staff of the members, or officers, employees, diplomatic agents, consular officers or official representatives in Canada of that government?
• Official or employee of the City and other municipal bodies, including
  • Public office holders;
  • officers, directors or employees of a local board of the City and acting in their public capacity;
  • a member of an Advisory Committee, acting in their public capacity and appointed by City Council
• A person communicating on behalf of a local school board?
• A person communicating on behalf of a healthcare institution?

If you answered yes to any of the questions in section 2, you are not a lobbyist.

If you answered no to any of the questions in section 2, please proceed to section 3.

Section 3

Are you:

• Communicating on behalf of a client (another individual, company, partnership or organization) for payment?
• Communicating as an employee, partner or sole proprietor on behalf of your own employer, business or organization?
• Communicating without payment on behalf of an individual, business or other organization (except for a not-for-profit group or organization) for the benefit of the interests of the individual, business or other organization?
• Arranging for a meeting between a public office holder and a third party?

If you answer yes to any of the questions in section 3, you are a lobbyist. You should register your lobbying activities.

If you answered no to all of the questions in section 3, you are not a lobbyist and do not need to register your lobbying activities.

If you have any questions, please contact the Lobbyist Registry at LobbyistRegistry@vaughan.ca.

Download a copy of the Am I a Lobbyist Flowchart (PDF).