"Useless and Overpaid Lobbyists"
Canada's estimable opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, is leading the way for his Conservative Party of Canada and the GOP. Watch out, lobbyists. Disruption is coming. For you.
I’m reluctant to write about Canada and Canadian politics. Every time I do, my readership drops. My subscriber deletes without reading. They’re not interested.
This is a huge mistake. What’s happening in Canada now represents lessons, if not implications, for us south of their border. Stick with me here because it’s important, especially if you’re a lobbyist or somehow related to one.
Don’t roll your eyes at me.
For all the talk of Donald Trump converting the US GOP into a “working class” party, Pierre Poilievre (pronounced, “Polly EV ruh”) is trumping (pun intended) his conservative counterparts in the US at their own game to new levels. Result: He and his party are drubbing the incumbent Liberal government, led by the execrable clown, Justin Trudeau, by double digits. Like, 20 points.
Donald Trump should be so lucky. Except, it’s not luck. It’s smarts and skill.
If the election were held today (it won’t be until October 2025, maybe), Poilievre’s conservatives would win more than 200 seats in Canada’s soon-to-be 343-member Parliament. BOOM, a massive majority. Canadians usually tire of politicians in about their 9th year in office (so do we after about six). Still, Trudeau has turned them off with remarkable levels of intensity I’ve never seen in politics anywhere. He’s that bad. You should check out the housing and rental housing markets in Canada. Makes expensive northern Virginia look downright cheap.
And Washington’s 11,000 or so registered lobbyists should pay attention.
Yes, I know. We have a population ten times larger than our northern neighbors, whom you love to ignore. They talk funny and haven’t won a National Hockey League Stanley Cup (their sport! their Cup!) since Joe Biden was in diapers (the first time).
Okay, that’s not quite true, but it was 31 years ago when the Patrick Roy-led Montreal Canadiens won the Cup during the 1992-93 season. Maybe the Edmonton Oilers will break that drought this year as one of the four teams left in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs (the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, and Florida Panthers remain. Yes, Florida. Go Panthers! I want to see Ron DeSantis hoist the Stanley Cup).
The National Post is the Wall Street Journal of Canada, a genuinely centrist publication with a blend of diverse editorialists. Still, from the estimable author and publisher Lord Conrad Black to John Ivison, it is better known for its center-right ones. Like the Wall Street Journal, they also publish the occasional guest op-ed from a leading politician. In this case, Poilievre:
The Trudeau government’s tax hike on capital gains has investors and business leaders blowing up my phone.
They yelp: “What are you going to do about this?”
My answer: “No. What are you going to do about it?”
Most are stunned silent by the question. They had been planning to do nothing except complain and hope their useless and overpaid lobbyists meet Chrystia Freeland or Justin Trudeau to talk some sense into them while the opposition hounds the government to reverse course.
Sorry.
That won’t cut it.
Businesses and entrepreneurs are under attack again because Trudeau has learned that they won’t do anything about it. Why would Trudeau listen to business? He knows he has raised payroll and energy taxes on businesses, attacked the resource sector with unconstitutional laws, and faced no consequences from the business community.
“Useless and overpaid lobbyists.”
Remember that phrase because if Republicans pay attention, they may be on the verge of unshackling themselves from two-timing Washington lobbyists who raise money for Democrats but run screaming to Republicans when their “investments” and access go south, only to run back.
That wasn’t all Poilievre did. He named and shamed some of Canada’s biggest lobbyists on the games they played with the Liberal government. To wit:
Just last month, Beer Canada thanked the Liberals for only raising the excise tax by two percent because the sector was relieved that Trudeau’s tax-and-spend government did not raise the tax even higher.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) once gave an award to Trudeau’s then-national revenue minister for letting businesses distribute T4s electronically (wow, big deal!) just a few weeks after the Liberal government in the fall of 2017 had unleashed a wicked tax assault on small private businesses’ passive investments and income sharing with families.
Recently, the Business Council of Alberta held a big event to suck up to the federal Liberals, who have killed two major pipelines, violated the Constitution with their anti-resource law C-69 and imposed a hated carbon tax on small businesses with no rebates for over five years now. All Alberta businesses should cancel their memberships and stop giving money to the Business Council, and small businesses should stop supporting the CFIB.
Sucking up to anti-resource, high-tax, big-government politicians has, and will, bring more anti-resource, high-tax, big-government policies. Politicians respond to political incentives. If there is no political price to pay for a bad decision, expect more bad decisions. If there is no political benefit from good decisions, expect no good decisions.
At the most, the Chamber of Commerce, Business Council, and Canadian Federation of Independent Business hold pointless luncheons and meetings and write op-eds or record interviews that almost no one sees. As leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, I refuse to meet the aforementioned groups. They tell me what I already know.
Most lobbyists don’t grasp that Americans are fed up with their “game.” Rightly or wrongly, they perceive that lobbyists don’t represent them but seek special tax provisions or loopholes for their well-heeled clients. Average Americans are left holding empty bags while the well-connected get special tax benefits and their money.
Small businesses get it - Increasing numbers of Americans - white, black, Hispanic, and Asian - are embracing disruption in how Washington (doesn’t) work. The American dream is not only dying, but our “system” caters to a chosen few well-heeled Americans who can afford well-connected lobbyists. They want a government that works for them.
That’s about to change, and if Donald Trump wants to seal his deal with the American electorate, he should declare war on Washington lobbyists the way Poilievre has in Canada.
To his credit, Trump issued Executive Order 13770 on Day One (January 20, 2017), which imposed a five-year ban on lobbying an agency any of his appointees had worked for. That was great, but it’s time to take the next step: an outright war on lobbyists for big business and instead focus on real small businesses, such as members of the Job Creators Network.
Trump didn’t go far enough.
I know. This contrasts with my defense of lobbyists in a five-part series in which I discussed my own 23-year career as an advocate for the food industry. Fair enough. But I also adopted a government relations program that turned my employees into advocates, my best lobbyists. I didn’t spend big bucks on well-heeled former House and Senate members with special access that working families don’t have.
Lobbyists would be well served to get ahead of the curve and convert their lobbying programs into pouring (wasting) big bucks on expensive DC lobbyists and instead persuading their employees to advocate on their behalf.
I know it can be done. I did it. So do others.
Trump has nothing to lose by going after the DC lobbyist infrastructure. If he wins, he’ll be a one-term president. He doesn’t need their money, and if they oppose his agenda, all he has to do is tie their money to the votes of his opponents—Democrats and Republicans. It’s a bipartisan issue.
Like him or not, Donald Trump is a disruptor. It’s why so many in Washington, especially in the media, have Trump Derangement Syndrome and vested interests oppose him strongly. I’ve lost a few friends and former industry colleagues to the disease. It’s their problem, not mine.
But Washington doesn’t work for us anymore. It’s a mess. Donald Trump won’t be able to fix everything in four short years, but he can start. He already has. Others, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will follow suit.
America is ready for the lobbying industry to be disrupted. And as a former career lobbyist, I’m all on board.
Kelly, very much like "Against the Grain" and stipulate to readers who may evaluate this 'dialogue' that besides being widely known as a trusted government affairs pro, you're also well-practiced on the campaign and journalism side of things. Unique and uncommon... I've been working on a long form piece on this broad topic of DC "lobbyists" and "consultants" and your post motivated a discussion. First, while I'll maintain my general 50% observation about "lobbyists" in original post, I'll add that "marginally qualified" should be an added assessment variable. DC "lobbyists" who've never worked on Capitol Hill or the regulatory agencies whom they're paid to influence is common. Same with DC "pr consultants." I'll also add an essential caveat most outside of DC simply don't believe: that 95%+ of lobbyists (as well as members of Congress) are highly ethical -- and went to Washington for all of the right reasons. How do I know? Been in DC since 1980 -- and besides waiting tables to survive after some initial campaign debacles -- have since worked all sides of the Hill, campaign, lobbying and consulting business. The most common misconception I experience when traveling across the country is that lawmakers, lobbyists etc are "corrupt." Simply not true. And... so I'm not a hypocrite throwing bottles at glass houses, I'll add that 75%+ of "DC political consultants" are totally full of "it" -- having never won a campaign; never worked on a competitive 'toss-up' race; or have worked solely as a DC campaign committee staffer (RNC, DNC etc) with no 'on the ground' experience. As for professional qualifications and discussion in general about this topic, talk is cheap. The free-market determines where one stands in this unusually interesting inside-the Beltway culture in which we live. And that's a good thing. My having said the vast majority of congressional lawmakers and lobbyists are highly ethical will surely generate still more comment. Worthy discussion.
Well said.. i work w/ lots of lobbyists -- always have, whether on the political campaign side or the advocacy side. As a DC-based campaign consultant who spent a LOT time on the ground in far flung locales across the country, i routinely saw flocks of K Street guys flood into a campaign HQ a week before a senate, gubernatorial or house candidate was about to win and go 'door to door' with volunteers to help 'get out the vote' -- then peddle their B.S. back in DC that they'd 'helped' the newly-elected lawmaker in their winning effort. They'd proceed to talk up their campaign 'expertise' at Hill fundraisers and with prospective clients. Pathetic. Now, this is not universal. I know a LOT of first-rate lobbyists with integrity, real policy expertise and of superior value to clients, candidates and incumbents alike. But they're are an exception to the rule. I'd estimate well over 50% of these Beltway "government affairs" folks (perhaps a charitable assessment) are smooth talking grifters wearing custom made suits to their real "place of work": dozens of monthly DC fundraisers and dinners. And it's only gotten worse over the years. In the final analysis, there's a need for "Disruption" across the entire spectrum of the "DC consultant" class -- not just lobbyists, but my own coterie of campaign consultants -- and our entire collective ilk.