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.

Channel overview: This newsletter aggregates lobbying activity across all NAICS industries that map to the Finance umbrella.

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 192 meetings in February 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 140.3 (+37%). This represents a notable increase.

Financial investments experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 34 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 27.5 (+24%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 22), this is a significant surge (+55%).

Insurance experienced a significant surge in lobbying activity — 62 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 27.7 (+124%).

Pension funds experienced a significant surge in lobbying activity — 17 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 7.4 (+129%).

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 3.2 (-69%).

Credit unions experienced a significant surge in lobbying activity — 14 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 8.4 (+66%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 10), this is a notable increase (+40%).

Financial transactions processing and credit cards experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 21 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 17.1 (+23%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 12.3), this is a significant surge (+70%).

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 2026-02

Insurance ended February 2026 with a residual of +29.5, well above its expected trend.

↳ 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.

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

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

↳ 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.

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: INSURANCE BUREAU OF CANADA/BUREAU D'ASSURANCE DU CANADA, University Pension Plan Ontario, FÉDÉRATION DES CAISSES DESJARDINS DU QUÉBEC.

↳ INSURANCE BUREAU OF CANADA/BUREAU D'ASSURANCE DU CANADA: 14 meetings vs. 3.4 average (+310%).

↳ University Pension Plan Ontario: 11 meetings vs. 2.8 average (+288%).

↳ FÉDÉRATION DES CAISSES DESJARDINS DU QUÉBEC: 11 meetings vs. 3.5 average (+214%).

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:

↳ Insurance → House of Commons: 19 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 6.3, +200%).

↳ Banking → Finance Canada (FIN): 18 meetings (notable increase vs. avg 14, +29%).

↳ Insurance → Finance Canada (FIN): 15 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 8.1, +86%).

Notable organization → institution pairs this month:

↳ FÉDÉRATION DES CAISSES DESJ... → House of Commons: 9 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 1.3, +575%).

↳ Canadian Bankers Association → Finance Canada (FIN): 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 3.9, +79%).

↳ INSURANCE BUREAU OF CANADA/... → House of Commons: 7 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 0.8, +833%).

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:

↳ Mining (metal ore) → Taxation and Finance: 43 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 28.7, +50%).

↳ Business associations → Taxation and Finance: 40 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 26.6, +50%).

↳ Insurance → Financial Institutions: 37 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 16.7, +122%).

Notable organization → subject pairs this month:

↳ Air Products Canada Ltd. → Taxation and Finance: 27 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 8.8, +206%).

↳ Canadian Union of Public Em... → Taxation and Finance: 24 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 2, +1100%).

↳ Canadian Medical Association → Taxation and Finance: 20 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 9.5, +111%).

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 most lobbied individual (by sector) was Banking → Julien Brazeau (Finance Canada (FIN)) with 5 meetings this month (12-month avg: 2.6).

↳ Banking → Matthew O'Connell (Finance Canada (FIN)): notable increase — 5 meetings vs. avg 3.7 (+36%).

↳ Financial transactions processing and credit cards → Matthew O'Connell (Finance Canada (FIN)): significant surge — 5 meetings vs. avg 1.8 (+186%).

The most lobbied individual (by organization) was CANADA'S VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY ASSOCIATION → David McFarlane (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)) with 4 meetings this month (12-month avg: 0.8).

↳ Canadian Bankers Association → Matthew O'Connell (Finance Canada (FIN)): significant surge — 3 meetings vs. avg 1.1 (+177%).

↳ Canadian Bankers Association → Julien Brazeau (Finance Canada (FIN)): significant surge — 3 meetings vs. avg 1.2 (+140%).