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 — Social Issues, 2026-03

• Overall, lobbying across this channel's industries totalled 337 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 234.2 (+44%). This represents a notable increase.
• The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include: Unifor, SALVATION ARMY CANADA AND BERMUDA TERRITORY (THE), The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
• The organizations with the most notable decreases include: Canadian Labour Congress.

📰 Real-World Implications — Social Issues, 2026-03

Labour Organizations Mobilize Amid Federal Code Overhaul

A dramatic spike in labour organization lobbying, especially by Unifor, aligns with major federal consultations and anticipated legislative changes to the Canada Labour Code in 2026. With new 'right to disconnect' policies, expanded leaves, and equal pay mandates pending, unions are aggressively lobbying to shape policy details and secure worker protections during this major regulatory reset.

📎 Government of Canada launches consultations to strengthen labour relations and better support workers · Employment Update: Canada Labour Code - Key Changes to Prepare For in 2026

Strategic Lobbying Around Wage Equity and Workplace Rights

The surge in lobbying by labour organizations on topics like economic development, employment, and training reflects heightened efforts to influence forthcoming federal policies on pay equity and workplace rights. With equal pay for equal work and new rules for worker misclassification expected, sector advocates are pushing to shape implementation and enforcement regimes before final regulations are issued.

📎 Employment Law Canada 2026: Key Updates for Employers · The Labour Bulletin, March 2026

Religious and Charitable Sectors React to Public Safety and Social Spending Policy

The sharp rise in lobbying by religious and charitable organizations, such as the Salvation Army, suggests a coordinated response to recent government scrutiny around social policy, public safety, and funding. Many groups are responding to real-time policy challenges related to poverty, immigration, and safety by seeking to protect or expand their roles amid shifting federal funding and regulatory environments.

📎 Government of Canada announces significant investment to strengthen workforce development across key economic sectors · Canada expands access to work permits in rural areas

Event-Driven, Volatile Mobilization Points to Fast-Moving Policy Debates

High volatility and surges in lobbying from labour, religious, charitable, and human rights organizations imply that social policy debates remain highly dynamic, likely driven by sudden government interventions, budget measures, or high-profile incidents. This volatility is often seen around issues like foreign worker program changes, rising minimum wage, or new measures to address worker misclassification.

📎 Canada Labour Code - Key Changes to Prepare For in 2026 · Government of Canada raises the federal minimum wage · Government of Canada taking action to support rural employers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

House of Commons Targeted as Key Policy Battlefield

The extraordinary concentration of meetings with Members of Parliament and specific civil servants reflects the House of Commons as the primary venue for imminent policy decisions. Groups such as Unifor and the Salvation Army are focusing efforts here to influence the final language of evolving federal bills and budget measures with potentially far-reaching impacts.

📎 Canada announces consultations to modernize labour relations in federally regulated workplaces · Minister Hajdu announces actions to grow and protect workers

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 337 meetings in March 2026, compared to a 12-month average of 234.2 (+44%). This represents a notable increase.

Religious organizations experienced a significant surge in lobbying activity — 87 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 47.2 (+84%).

Labour organizations experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 122 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 85.2 (+43%).

↳ Compared to the same month in prior years (avg 59), this is a significant surge (+107%).

Charitable organizations experienced a notable increase in lobbying activity — 103 meetings vs. a 12-month average of 77 (+34%).

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

Labour organizations ended March 2026 with a residual of +43.6, well above its expected trend.

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

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

Religious organizations ended March 2026 with a residual of +35.8, well above its expected trend.

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

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

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

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

↳ Human rights organizations has shown a broadly upward trend in lobbying residuals over the past year.

↳ Human rights organizations 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: Unifor, SALVATION ARMY CANADA AND BERMUDA TERRITORY (THE), The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

↳ Unifor: 81 meetings vs. 11.2 average (+620%).

↳ SALVATION ARMY CANADA AND BERMUDA TERRITORY (THE): 23 meetings vs. 2.8 average (+736%).

↳ The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs: 30 meetings vs. 12.6 average (+138%).

The organizations with the most notable decreases include: Canadian Labour Congress.

↳ Canadian Labour Congress: 1 meetings vs. 17 average (-94%).

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:

↳ Labour organizations → House of Commons: 90 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 47.8, +88%).

↳ Religious organizations → House of Commons: 54 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 30.5, +77%).

Notable organization → institution pairs this month:

↳ Unifor → House of Commons: 68 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 7.4, +817%).

↳ National Council of Canadia... → House of Commons: 22 meetings (notable increase vs. avg 15.8, +39%).

↳ SALVATION ARMY CANADA AND B... → House of Commons: 17 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 1.8, +827%).

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:

↳ Labour organizations → Labour: 95 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 40.2, +136%).

↳ Labour organizations → Employment and Training: 89 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 32.7, +172%).

↳ Labour organizations → Economic Development: 87 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 20.4, +326%).

Notable organization → subject pairs this month:

↳ Unifor → International Trade: 80 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 8.8, +806%).

↳ Unifor → Industry: 79 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 7.8, +919%).

↳ Unifor → Labour: 79 meetings (significant surge vs. avg 7.8, +909%).

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