Sean Casey of Global Public Affairs registered last week to lobby for the Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians. Pexels/Stock Photo

A group representing stand-up comedians has tapped a lobbyist to help convince decision makers in Ottawa to recognize stand-up comedy as an “art form” to allow the performers to apply for “touring grants and album creation grants.”

Sean Casey of Global Public Affairs registered last week to lobby for the Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians (CASC), a non-profit Toronto-based group established in 2017, according to its website.

Casey also writes in his registration that he also intends to lobby on behalf of CASC to ensure that “Canadian stand-up comedians are treated equal to American comedians when crossing the (border) and are not subject to costly visas,” as detailed in the North American trade deal.

CASC says American comedians do not face the same red-tape when crossing over to Canada.

According to his registration, Casey intends on lobbying MPs, Senators, the Prime Minister’s Office, Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Last week’s updates:

There were 20 new registrations last week. No client organization was mentioned in more than one new registration. By lobbyist, only Susie Heath had more than one new client. She has a pair which means her employer, Crestview Strategies won the week. It had three new registrations.

The highlights:

In recent defence registrations:

Randall Sheppard of Griffon Integrated Security Technologies Inc. registered for Illinois-based AM General to help secure the firm contracts related to the Light Utility Vehicle program, the Logistic Vehicle Modernization program and the Next Generation Fighting Vehicle.

In recent environment/energy/resources registrations:

Zéro Émission Capital registered president Normand Goyette to lobby for funding to help them become a big hydrogen producer.

EDF renewables Development Inc. is one of Susie Heath’s new clients. It wants her to find contracts and lobby for more programs to encourage investment in renewables. Heath works for Crestview.

In recent health registrations:

Chad Rogers of Crestview has registered for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to lobby about the importance of vaccines. The international organization received $100 million from Global Affairs last year.

Joshua Albert of CCS Group has registered for the Naicatchewanin First Nation to lobby for a group of Northern First Nations to become a centre of excellence for wound care and limb preservation in Northwestern Ontario.

Of note:

Corporate training company Eagle’s Flight is hunting for government contracts and Craig Robinson of Earnscliffe Strategies has registered to lobby federally on its behalf.

Matthew Henley of Wellington Dupont registered for the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies to monitor issues and communicate with MPs about the 2020 budget.

Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada signed Dan Pfeffer of Public Affairs Advisors to talk to departments about the federal “File My Return Initiative,” which allows low-income Canadians whose tax returns don’t really change from year to year to answer a few automated questions instead filing an actual return. It was an initiative from the 2018 federal budget and was used for the first time this past tax season.

Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada is a coalition of tax-preparation and software companies. This organization was also created in 2018.

Communication reports:

There were 393 reports filed last week.

Most active client organizations, based on last week’s filings:

Environmental Defence Canada, by in-house staff, 54

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association by in-house staff and board members, 40

Chicken Farmers of Caanda by in-house staff and board members, 26

TekSavvy Solutions by in-house staff, 21

Association of Canadian Port Authorities, by in-house staff, 20

Support Ontario Youth by paid lobbyist, 12

Most active paid lobbyists:

Craig Brockwell for one client, 12

Blake Oliver, for five clients, 9

Nancy Cruz for one client, 9

Tara Mazurk for one client, 9

Paul Moen for one client, 8

Steve Masnyk for one client, 8

Most lobbied public officer holders:

Tom Rosser, assistant deputy minister at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 6

Oliver Anderson, senior policy advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, 6

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture, 6

Dan Albas, Tory MP from B.C., 5

Alison Porter, Chief of Staff to Min of Agriculture, 5

Most lobbied government institutions:

House of Commons, 206

Agriculture Canada, 32

Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 18

Senate, 17

Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 15

Finance Canada, 15

Most lobbied subjects, based on the first two subjects listed on each filing:

International trade, 82

Health, 77

Environment, 72

Agriculture, 68

Economic development, 42

With files from Kirsten Smith