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Government seeks stakeholder input on lobbyist legislation Tom Marshall, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, today announced that government is moving forward on legislation to regulate the activity of lobbyists in Newfoundland and Labrador. "We made a commitment back in our Blueprint for the Future, to develop strong, leading-edge legislation to regulate lobbyists in this province," said Minister Marshall. "The lobbyist legislation will raise the bar for open and accountable government. Citizens can and should have input into the public decision-making process, to make better, stronger public policy. This legislation will simply ensure that input takes place in a transparent manner." The Department of Justice has completed its review of similar legislation in other jurisdictions and is now seeking stakeholder input. A discussion paper outlining the issues has been posted to the government Web site at //www.gov.nl.ca/just/lobbyistlegislation/ . Hard copies are also available from the Department of Justice. Interested parties may submit feedback by mail, fax or e-mail. All written inputs must be received by November 30, 2004, in order to provide information for legislative drafting. Government is seeking input from key stakeholders, especially those most affected by the proposed legislation. "We expect to hear from government consultants, umbrella advocacy groups, retired senior civil servants, academics and any others interested in public policy," said the minister. Government is also hoping to solicit the views of the general public. Minister Marshall emphasized that the discussion document is written in lay language, to be accessible to the general public: "We want to hear from all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have a viewpoint on this. That is why the discussion document is in plain, everyday English, rather than legal language, and that�s why we�ve posted it to the government Web site. Any interested person can read this document and provide us with feedback." It is expected that the new legislation will be tabled in the House of Assembly during the fall sitting, for debate by the elected representatives of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. "The legislation will be debated on the floor of the House of Assembly," said Minister Marshall. "As a group of elected representatives, we will review this legislation and, ultimately, enact the best possible laws on behalf of the people of this province. "Good, solid lobbyist legislation will help clarify what is appropriate conduct for lobbyists as they bring information forward to government. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador expect openness, transparency and accountability in the public decision-making process. We�re making sure the law reflects that." Written comments or submissions should be forwarded by November 30, 2004 to: Lobbyist Legislation
Submissions can also be e-mailed to:
Media contact: Heather Donovan, Communications, (709) 729- 6985 or (709) 690-2498 2004 11 05 2:30 p.m. |
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