Attorney General David Eby has issued the following statement in response to decisions released by British Columbia’s Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists regarding the definition of "former public office holder" in the Lobbyists Registration Act:

“Decisions released today by the registrar of lobbyists will have immediate and negative consequences for the regulation of lobbying activities in B.C.

“According to the registrar, the Lobbyists Registration Act contains an error in the legislated definition of ‘former public office holder’ which has not been detected for eight years. We understand that our government's new two-year prohibition on lobbying (‘cooling off period’) for former senior government decision makers and staff has brought to light this long-standing drafting error, as it relies on B.C.'s pre-existing legislation and definitions.

“Broader legislation to reform and modernize the rules on lobbying in B.C. is scheduled to be introduced during the upcoming fall legislative session. I have instructed Ministry of Attorney General staff to include in those reforms an amendment to correct this long-standing drafting error and to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure the integrity of this important legislation.”