Lobbying on Social Issues - Ottawa (March 2026 edition)
Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, and Unifor were unusually active lobbyists last month.
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
- Lobbying activity totalled 400 meetings in February 2026, up from a 12-month average of 219.2.
- The biggest moves were in Charitable organizations and Labour organizations.
- Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions were more active than usual.
Section A: The Themes Hidden in February 2026 Data
Government Launches Advisory Council on Antisemitism
Prime Minister Carney's creation of a ministerial council devoted to rights, equality, and inclusion coincides with February's surge in lobbying—particularly from B'nai Brith Committee for Justice in Canada and the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) to Canadian Heritage (PCH), the House of Commons, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)—about hate speech and human rights protections, especially concerning antisemitism. Policy discussions intensified as the council immediately prioritized a comprehensive assessment of antisemitism, spurring dialogue between public officials and advocacy groups such as the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights over legislative and programmatic responses.
Senate Report Amplifies Urgency for Antisemitism Measures
The April 2026 Senate Committee report, following key meetings between B'nai Brith Committee for Justice in Canada and the Senate of Canada as well as the Prime Minister's Office, describes antisemitism as a 'clear and present danger,' calling for immediate and coordinated action. This parliamentary finding closely follows February’s spike in lobbying, including efforts by B'nai Brith Committee for Justice in Canada and Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights with the Prime Minister's Office, and coordinated advocacy at Canadian Heritage, by organizations seeking concrete government interventions and resource allocation to confront hate crimes impacting Jewish and other vulnerable communities.
📎 'A clear and present danger': Senate report urges immediate action on antisemitism
Federal Action Plan for Combating Antisemitism Released
The government’s policy pledges to combat antisemitism, released in January 2026, coincide with advocacy around hate speech, enforcement, and funding needs raised by charities and human rights groups, including B'nai Brith Committee for Justice in Canada and National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) in discussions with Canadian Heritage (PCH) and the House of Commons. These actions include expanded law enforcement training, revised hate crime prosecution standards, and support for Jewish communities, reflecting a notable milestone driven by domestic and international concerns.
Section B: Lobbying Activity by Industry
This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.
Lobbying activity across this channel totalled 400 meetings in February 2026, up from a 12-month average of 219. The most active industry was Charitable organizations, while Labour organizations rose above its recent baseline.
The industries with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Labour organizations logged 131 meetings, up from an average of 80, Charitable organizations logged 166 meetings, up from an average of 72, and Human rights organizations logged 45 meetings, up from an average of 16.
Section C: 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 B and C shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.
Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-02
Charitable organizations saw lobbying run notably above expected levels in February 2026.
↳ Charitable organizations has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.
↳ Charitable organizations displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.
Labour organizations saw lobbying run notably above expected levels in February 2026.
↳ Labour organizations has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.
↳ Labour organizations displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.
↳ Human rights organizations has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.
↳ Human rights organizations displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.
↳ Religious organizations has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.
↳ Religious organizations displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.
Section D: 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 Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, and Unifor.
Section E: 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
The busiest industry → institution corridors this month:
↳ Labour organizations → House of Commons: 81 meetings (avg 44, +86%).
↳ Charitable organizations → House of Commons: 66 meetings (avg 28, +139%).
↳ Charitable organizations → Global Affairs Canada (GAC): 29 meetings (avg 15, +91%).
The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:
↳ Canadian Union of Public Employees → House of Commons: 34 meetings (avg 3, +1003%).
↳ Unifor → House of Commons: 18 meetings (avg 3, +500%).
↳ Islamic Relief Canada → House of Commons: 17 meetings (avg 3, +410%).
Section F: 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
The busiest industry → subject corridors this month:
↳ Charitable organizations → International Development: 109 meetings (avg 39, +181%).
↳ Labour organizations → Budget: 62 meetings (avg 26, +137%).
↳ Labour organizations → Economic Development: 59 meetings (avg 13, +345%).
The busiest organization → subject corridors this month:
↳ Canadian Union of Public Employees → Economic Development: 43 meetings (avg 4, +1022%).
↳ Canadian Union of Public Employees → Budget: 39 meetings (avg 3, +1100%).
↳ Canadian Union of Public Employees → Labour: 28 meetings (avg 3, +888%).
Section G: 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
Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by sector) this month were Charitable organizations → Salma Zahid (House of Commons), Charitable organizations → Elizabeth May (House of Commons) and Charitable organizations → Alexandre Boulerice (House of Commons).
Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs → Hanife Moosimfar (Justice Canada (JC)), Right To Play → Anik Labelle (Global Affairs Canada (GAC)) and The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs → Angad Dhillon (Prime Minister's Office (PMO)).
