SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
If your organization is seeking an investment for your immediate or long term marketing plan and are interested in building strong brand awareness with association management industry leaders, then we invite you to become a CSAE BC Sponsor.
For more information regarding our Sponsorship Program and opportunities, please 
CSAE BC ANNUAL PLAN
The CSAE BC Network Council meets yearly to develop and establish an annual plan, which identifies our educational programming and events, special events and member-based activities for the next 12 month cycle. Our plan is in collaboration with CSAE Central office to ensure alignment and also identifies our goals and strategic priorities:
- Strengthen the CSAE brand;
- Build an engaged community of members and stakeholders; and
- Provide value through learning innovation.
Our initiatives are designed to deliver a relevant and value-oriented member experience.
FEATURES
The Tech You Need to Get Started Working Remotely
By: Aine McGlynn
You’re at home again. Working. From. Home. Again.
While there’s nothing that this article can do to break the monotony of your four walls or make your kids leave you alone long enough to take a deep breath, we can set those of you completely new to working remotely on a good path.
Click here to read more
Build Your Resilience in The Face of a Crisis
Harvard Business Review
As the spread and far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 dominate the world news, we have all been witnessing and experiencing the parallel spread of worry, anxiety, and instability. Indeed, in a crisis, our mental state often seems only to exacerbate an already challenging situation, becoming a major obstacle in itself. Why is this and how can we change it? Click here to read more.
BC Lobbying Legislation Change
Christi Howes, Senior Communications Officer
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC
Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for BC
On May 4, 2020, the current Lobbyists Registration Act will be changing to the Lobbyists Transparency Act (LTA). Under the new legislation, not-for-profit organizations whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of their members will now have to register any and all lobbying related to their members’ interests. In addition, the elimination of the threshold for lobbying registration (except in very limited cases) will require significantly more groups to register than have had to in the past.
Most not-for-profit organizations and societies that communicate with BC public office holders in an attempt to influence government decisions will likely soon be required to register in the Lobbyists Registry. In an effort to inform organizations of the upcoming changes, the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (ORL) is actively engaged in an education campaign to provide information on what the changes will mean for associations, organizations, and lobbyists in BC who have not previously had to register with us.
Included below the ORL’s February issue of Influencing BC, an online journal we publish for lobbyists with updates and news about the Lobbyists Transparency Act (LTA). Please share and distribute this information with your colleagues and members, if relevant, and if folks would like to be added to the Influencing BC distribution list, they can email info@bcorl.ca and it will be added to our list.
Also, recently posted was the new LTA guidance documents and a FAQ section on our website to help people better understand the new legislation. If this information is of interest to your members, I encourage them to explore the resources we have on our website and to attend one of our information sessions this April.
We will offer two public information sessions, one in Vancouver on April 2, 2020, and one in Victoria on April 23, 2020. For those unable to attend the sessions in person, we will host a webcast on April 3, 2020. Additional details and to register for these free public information sessions, can be found on the Upcoming Events page of the ORL’s website.
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INFLUENCING BC |
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February 2020, Volume 10, Issue 1 |
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IN THIS ISSUE |
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What can lobbyists do now to prepare for the new legislation & Registry? |
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REGISTRAR’S MESSAGE |
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On May 4, 2020, the title of the Lobbyists Registration Act will change to the Lobbyists Transparency Act, or LTA, as the sections of the Lobbyists Registration Amendment Act, 2018, that have not yet come into force take effect. The changes will affect all lobbyists, and with the elimination of the 100-hour threshold we anticipate many organizations may have to register even if they have not had to do so in the past. In anticipation of the coming into force of the LTA, we continue our efforts to ensure the new online Lobbyists Registry will be ready to launch on May 4, 2020. In addition, we have begun a three-month educational campaign to help ensure lobbyists, organizations, and the general public understand the changes to the Act, the regulations, and the Lobbyists Registry. This week, we posted new guidance documents and an FAQ section on our website to assist with understanding the LTA. Updates to our website will occur over the next several months including additional LTA guidance documents, information, and support materials as we approach the launch of the new Lobbyists Registry on May 4. In April, I am also co-hosting two public information sessions, one in Vancouver on April 2, 2020, and one in Victoria on April 23, 2020. For those unable to attend the sessions in person, I will also host a webcast on April 3, 2020. For webcast login details and to register for any of these free public information sessions, please go to the Upcoming Events page on the ORL website. We are committed to making it as easy as possible for lobbyists to understand and comply with the new Act. Please don’t hesitate to contact my team at info@bcorl.ca with questions or comments. Michael McEvoy, Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia |
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FEATURE |
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What can lobbyists do now to prepare for the new legislation and the new Lobbyists Registry? To prepare for the new legislation, please review the new LTA guidance documents and information on the ORL website. In addition, you may want to attend one of the free public information sessions being offered in April in Vancouver and Victoria, or the webinar. Event details and registration is available on the ORL’s Upcoming Events webpage. Much of the information in your existing registrations will be carried over into the new Lobbyists Registry. The current Registry will be taken offline on April 30, 2020, and the new Lobbyists Registry will be activated on May 4, 2020. To prepare for the change over to the new system, between now and April 30, 2020, please ensure your existing information in the Lobbyists Registry is accurate and up to date. In particular, please check:
The Designated Filer for an organization must be the most senior officer of the organization who receives payment for performing his or her functions, even if that person is not lobbying. If there is no senior officer who receives payment, the Designated Filer is the most senior in-house lobbyist. Note: If your organization is a national or international organization, as of May 4, 2020, we will no longer accept the most senior officer in BC as the Designated Filer. For example, if the CEO and all executives of a national company are based in Calgary, and the only company personnel in BC are lobbyists and support staff, the Designated Filer would be the CEO in Calgary, if that person receives payment for performing his or her functions. In another example, a company based in the United States begins lobbying activities in BC. All of the executives are based in Nevada. The company hires a lobbyist in BC to arrange meetings about proposals in BC. The Designated Filer in this scenario would be the most senior officer of the United States organization who receives payment for performing his or her functions. If that United States company subsequently incorporates a Canadian subsidiary and appoints a CEO of the Canadian subsidiary, and the lobbying activities are carried out on behalf of the Canadian subsidiary, then the Canadian subsidiary would file its own (new) registration as an organization carrying on lobbying activities in BC, and the CEO of the Canadian subsidiary would be the Designated Filer in that registration. The two key questions to ask to determine the Designated Filer are: a) Which organization is actually carrying on lobbying activities in BC? b) Who is the most senior paid officer of that organization?
· To see the full legal name of companies registered in BC search here: https://www.bconline.gov.bc.ca/. · To see the full legal name of companies registered in other provinces search here: https://beta.canadasbusinessregistries.ca/search · To see the full name of federally-registered companies search here: https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/cc/CorporationsCanada/fdrlCrpSrch.html
If changes are required, please log into the Lobbyists Registry justice.gov.bc.ca/lra/, update your existing registration, certify, and submit, so we can review and accept the changes prior to April 30, 2020. Reviewing your registration information now will make for an easier transition to the new Lobbyists Transparency Act when it comes into effect May 4, 2020. |
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RECENT NEWS |
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Investigation and reconsideration reports The ORL has the authority to investigate alleged lobbyist contraventions such as neglecting to register, failing to register, or reporting Registration Returns inaccurately or late. ORL investigators review the circumstances of each case, examine the evidence, and if the contravention is substantiated, levy an administrative penalty. Our Investigation and Reconsiderations Reports can be viewed on our website here. Who’s Lobbying Who: January 2020 Who’s lobbying Who is a monthly summary of lobbying activities that in-house lobbyists for organizations and consultant lobbyists have carried out or expect to carry out in BC. Each edition contains all new registrations submitted and activated during that particular month. View Who’s Lobbying Who on the ORL website under Publications.
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