Once lobbied, Stockwell Day becomes not-a-lobbyist

UPDATE:  Day called me from Vancouver to discuss….

Former Harper government cabinet minister Stockwell Day says the federal ethics commissioner has cleared him to set up a consulting company that helps private clients develop a “government relations strategy.”

Day has hung out his shingle in downtown Vancouver with a new company called Stockwell Day Connex.

The company’s website says “Stockwell Day Connex can work with your organization to create a clear and concise government relations strategy as well as provide insightful analysis on Canadian political developments.”

The Federal Accountability Act that Day helped usher in while in cabinet placed a strict prohibitions on former public officer holders that bar them from working as lobbyists for five years after leaving office.

But Day says he will not be doing anything that violates the ethics law.

“It is not a lobbying firm,” he said. “We do no lobbying whatsoever. I’m very clear with clients that we do not provide, nor do we intend to provide, access to public-office holders.”

Although the website refers to government relations – a term sometimes used as a polite alternative to lobbying – a disclaimer on the company website says it doesn’t lobby.

Day says he had discussions with Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson to ensure he is in compliance with the Federal Accountability Act.

He had a sit-down meeting with her in Ottawa and has had follow-up communications with her office.

“We just had a very good discussion. I wanted to make sure I was clear and also to let her know it’s not my intention there would be any lobbying or any attempt to provide access,” he said.

“It’s very clear that I cannot use any info that is seen as insider or strictly gained from that experience.”

Day says his initial clients, whom he declined to name, understand that he won’t be giving them a foot in the door with the government.

“This is all about strategic approaches to issues. It’s about communications. It’s about business issues.”

So why would someone hire him if he can’t help move files ahead with his former colleagues?

“They see me as somebody who has learned some things about problem solving, learned some things about business and community relations,” Day said.

“They talk me about what advice I can bring to the table in those general areas.”

He cited as an example the advice he could give a developer about being transparent within its community.

Day said he has spoken to a number of potential clients about working with them but wouldn’t say which ones.

“I am a private business person.”

He does not have any partners at this point.

Day is the former finance minister of Alberta, former leader of the now defunct Canadian Alliance, and served as international trade minister, public safety minister and president of the Treasury Board in the Harper government.

Day announced he was leaving politics before the last election.

He says he wants to keep working because he doesn’t want to live on only the $64,000 pension he has earned.

“I’m pleased to have that but my intention is to be living on a few more dollars than that.”

A Citizen review of lobbying records shows that, when in cabinet, Day had numerous contacts with the government relations industry.

Since the summer of 2009, when lobbyists were legally required to report communications with public-office holder, lobbyists logged 116 contacts with Day on a variety of subjects.

Among the organizations he had contact with were SinoCanada Petroleum Corporation, TransCanada Pipeline, Teck Coal Limited and Canadian National Railway.

Dawson’s office is closed Mondays during the summer for “flex days,” so no one was able to provide clarification Monday.

LEGACY COPY:  My colleague Stephen Maher of the Halifax Chronicle Herald today tweeted a link to a website that looks like former Treasury Board President Stockwell Day’s new post-politics business.

The putative — I say this, because there is no confirmation from Day that this is really legit and not a hoax — company is called Stockwell Day Connex.  It lists a downtown Vancouver address but the site is registered through GoDaddy and cannot be traced without a court order.

The site is registered through GoDaddy to a Sam Reynolds, who identifies himself as Day’s assistant.  It lists an address on W. Hastings in downtown Vancouver.

A disclaimer warns, “Stockwell Day Connex is not a lobbying firm” even though else on the same page, it uses the widely-known synonym for lobbyist, “government relations.”

Further, the site explains, “in consultation with Canada’s Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and subject to the Government of Canada Accountability Act and the Conflict of Interest Act, neither Stockwell Day nor Stockwell Day Connex will provide ‘insider’ information on any matters related to Cabinet discussions, files or decisions, past or pending.”

Oh, well, guess that’s okay, then, right?

Day, of course, is quite familiar with the government relations industry. In his five years in Stephen Harper’s cabinet, Day was frequently contacted by lobbyists.  Since lobbyists became legally required to report contacts with cabinet ministers in the summer of 2009, they reported 116 separate contacts with Day.

A list thereof: