Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

📊 Key Takeaways — Finance, 2026-03

• Overall, lobbying across this channel's industries totalled 170 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 151.8 (+12%). This represents a roughly in line.
• The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include: Manulife Financial Corporation, Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments, Canadian Bankers Association.
• The individual most lobbied by Banking was Matthew O'Connell at Finance Canada (FIN).

📰 Real-World Implications — Finance, 2026-03

Analysis for Finance

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Section A: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Overall, lobbying across this channel's industries totalled 170 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 151.8 (+12%). This represents a roughly in line.

Insurance experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 37 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 30.2 (+23%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 23.7), this is a significant surge (+56%).

Consumer lending and sales financing had no lobbying meetings this month, a stark departure from its 12-month average of 0.4.

Digital asset services saw a significant decline in lobbying activity — 1 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 3.3 (-70%).

Financial transactions processing and credit cards experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 24 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 18.6 (+29%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 12), this is a significant surge (+100%).

Section B: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section A and B shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-03

Banking ended March 2026 with a residual of +27.4, well above its expected trend.

↳ Banking has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Banking displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

↳ Mortgage and loan brokers has shown a broadly downward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Financial investments has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Financial investments displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

↳ Financial transactions processing and credit cards has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Financial transactions processing and credit cards displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

↳ Insurance has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Insurance displayed high volatility in its lobbying pattern, suggesting irregular or event-driven activity.

Section C: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include: Manulife Financial Corporation, Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments, Canadian Bankers Association.

↳ Manulife Financial Corporation: 16 meetings vs. 6.2 average (+156%).

↳ Meadow Lake Tribal Council Industrial Investments: 8 meetings vs. 1 average (+700%).

↳ Canadian Bankers Association: 20 meetings vs. 14.7 average (+36%).

Section D: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

Notable industry → institution pairs this month:

↳ Banking → Finance Canada (FIN): 42 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 17.4, +141%).

↳ Insurance → Finance Canada (FIN): 13 meetings (notable increase vs. avg 9.1, +43%).

Notable organization → institution pairs this month:

↳ Canadian Bankers Association → Finance Canada (FIN): 10 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 4.8, +111%).

↳ MasterCard Canada, ULC. → House of Commons: 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 2.3, +200%).

↳ Royal Bank of Canada → Finance Canada (FIN): 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 1.8, +300%).

Section E: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

Notable industry → subject pairs this month:

↳ Banking → Financial Institutions: 55 meetings (notable increase vs. avg 43.6, +26%).

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Taxation and Finance: 54 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 32.2, +67%).

↳ Agricultural science and pr... → Taxation and Finance: 42 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 9.8, +327%).

Notable organization → subject pairs this month:

↳ Aerospace Industries Associ... → Taxation and Finance: 26 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 8.4, +209%).

↳ Agnico Eagle Mines Limited → Taxation and Finance: 23 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 10.2, +126%).

↳ Fertilizer Canada → Taxation and Finance: 22 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 4, +450%).

Section F: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization

The individual most lobbied by Banking was Matthew O'Connell at Finance Canada (FIN).