Pierre Poilievre’s Top Advisor, Jenni Byrne, is a Major Corporate Power Broker

 

A closer look at Byrne’s extensive corporate lobbying activity reveals billion-dollar corporations and ethical concerns

Jenni Byrne, among the most powerful figures behind Pierre Poilievre’s election campaign, has been described as one of the most important power brokers in Canada: “merciless,” a “ruthless tactician,” the “most powerful woman in Ottawa.” Writing in Maclean’s, Simon Lewson speculated Byrne could easily become Poilievre’s chief of staff should the Conservative leader become prime minister.

But Byrne has also been tied to two lobbying firms: one that is focused on provincial matters, primarily in Ontario, called Jenni Byrne + Associates, and another that connects clients to the federal government, Forecheck Strategies.

While Byrne has denied any involvement in Forecheck, it shares an address and much of its staff with the firm that bears her name. This has raised ethical concerns over her close proximity to the leader who could potentially become Canada’s next prime minister.

Among the clients of Jenni Byrne + Associates (JB+A) are heavy-hitting multinational corporations, some large enough to be listed on the S&P 500. Per entries in the Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia lobbyist registries, the firm’s work includes contract procurement and proposed regulatory changes on behalf of a broad range of sectors including telecommunications, retail, construction, real estate, insurance and finance.

Some of JB+A’s larger clients (and the stated topics of their lobbying) include the following:

• Retail and grocery juggernaut Loblaw Companies Ltd. (regulatory changes to liquor sales in Alberta, conservation, energy)
• Multinational consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble (conservation, energy, forestry, natural resources)
• Research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. (digital government, information technology, research and innovation, science and technology)
• Real estate developer Oskar Group (environment, housing, natural resources)
• The Alliance for Visitors Tax Refund, a group of major retailers lobbying in Alberta for post-pandemic tax relief, including Aldo Group, Birks Group, Cadillac Fairview, Global Blue, Harry Rosen, Hudson’s Bay Company, QuadReal Property Group, the Retail Council of Canada and Triple Five  (more...)

Pierre Poilievre’s Top Advisor, Jenni Byrne, is a Major Corporate Power Broker