VANCOUVER, B.C. — Green Councillor Pete Fry brought forward a motion at City Council calling for the creation of a voluntary lobbyist registry for the City of Vancouver, aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and public trust in municipal decision-making.

The motion, A Lobbyist Registry for Vancouver, proposed establishing a publicly accessible registry, modeled on existing systems in Surrey and Kelowna, to disclose interactions between paid lobbyists and elected officials. The goal was to provide residents with clearer insight into who is attempting to influence City Hall decisions and on whose behalf.

“People deserve to know who is lobbying their city government,” said Councillor Fry. “Transparency isn’t about stopping advocacy, it’s about ensuring decisions are made in the open, with public confidence in how influence is exercised.”

A Practical, Made-in-Vancouver Transparency Tool

The proposed registry would have been voluntary and low-cost, requiring paid lobbyists to disclose basic information about their activities when communicating with councillors or their staff. The motion explicitly exempted public hearings, open council meetings, broad public correspondence, and matters outside City jurisdiction, ensuring that public participation and normal civic engagement would not be captured.

Fry’s proposal built on years of Council discussion and previous efforts to encourage the Province to regulate municipal lobbying, while recognizing that local action could improve transparency in the interim.

Referred Pending Provincial Action

During debate, Council voted to refer the motion to staff, pending the outcome of a companion motion, adopted unanimously the same day, requesting that the Province of British Columbia establish and oversee a province-wide municipal lobbyist registry.

Fry opposed the referral, arguing that local transparency measures should not be delayed while awaiting provincial action.

“Vancouver has been talking about a lobbyist registry for over a decade,” Fry said. “We can support a province-wide solution and take responsibility locally to improve transparency now.”

Continuing the Push for Accountability

While the motion was not advanced at this time, Fry emphasized that the referral keeps the issue active and reinforces growing momentum across municipalities for stronger, more consistent lobbying oversight.

“Whether it’s led by the Province or implemented locally, the direction is clear,” Fry added. “Residents expect openness, accountability, and clear rules around influence at City Hall, and that expectation isn’t going away.”