ORL Annual Report and Service Plan: Sharp increase in lobbying activity reports underscores importance of office’s approach to transparency in lobbying
The newly published Annual Report from the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia shows a more than 30% increase in the number of lobbying activity reports in the Lobbyists Registry from the previous year. Lobbying – where organizations or people working on their behalf attempt to influence policies and programs of public officers - is an important part of how our democracy works – if it is transparent. More activity in our Registry means greater transparency and a healthier democracy. The Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists’ (ORL) Annual Report and Service Plan 2025/26 was tabled today in the BC Legislature. Registrar Harvey said the substantial increase in lobbying activity reports strengthens transparency in lobbying and underscores the importance of making compliance with the Lobbyists Transparency Act (LTA) straightforward for lobbyists across the province. “Every lobbying activity filed with our publicly accessible Registry advances transparency – it gives us a clearer picture of who is trying to influence government, and it builds trust between public institutions and the people the serve,” he said. “My office is committed to continuing to both raise awareness among those who have obligations under the LTA and to making compliance as simple as possible.” The report covers the ORL’s work from April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026. Among the key figures highlighted in the report were: Lobbying activity reports up 33%: Lobbyists completed 8,479 lobbying activity reports during this period, up from 6,353 the previous year.Registrations grew: Consultant lobbyist registrations rose from 716 to 839 and the number of active consultant lobbyists increased from 253 to 287.Verifications for compliance down, fewer corrections needed: The ORL conducted 1,165 verifications of potential errors in the Registry, down from 1,450 the previous year, with 480 of those requiring corrections, a 36% decrease from 748 the previous year.Enforcement: Four Determination Decisions – findings of non-compliance with fines levied – were issued. Eight additional files were resolved through a compliance pilot, introduced in December 2025, to address contraventions through education rather than penalties. The ORL’s commitment to straightforward compliance with the Act was reflected in Registrar Harvey’s recommendations to the Special Committee of the Legislature, which conducted the first statutory review of the LTA in December 2025. Registrar Harvey made five recommendations to the Committee, two aimed at enhancing transparency, including requiring disclosure by board members of interests in lobbying activity and specifying the type of communication used with lobbying, and three aimed at making the Act easier to understand and administer. The latter included clarifying the definition of provincial entity, giving the Registrar authority to issue advisory opinions and interpretative bulletins, and ensuring in law that the Registrar is consulted before LTA amendments are introduced. “We have one of the strongest lobbying transparency laws in the world – and we have the opportunity to make it stronger, both at the legislative level, through the recommendations I’ve put forward, and on the ground, by helping every lobbyist understand and meet their obligations with confidence,” Registrar Harvey said.
