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Lobbying by Entertainment Software Association of Canada: its registrations, its lobbyists, the bills it has named and every meeting it has reported with federal office holders since November 2021.

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Client of a consultant lobbyist

Entertainment Software Association of Canada

Meetings this Parliament
2
With MPs
0
Since Nov 2021
2
Active registrations
1

Most recent reported meeting: Sep 23, 2026.

Registrations in effect

Consultant In effect since Sep 14, 2026

Consultant Asma Aarab of Burson

Consultant lobbyists

  • Asma Aarab Former public office holder

    Formerly Office Manager, Office of MP Joanne Thompson, House of Commons (2024–2026)

Institutions they may lobby: Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Canadian Heritage (PCH), Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Competition Bureau Canada (COBU), Competition Tribunal (CT), Copyright Board of Canada (CB), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Export Development Canada (EDC), Finance Canada (FIN), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Health Canada (HC), House of Commons, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Justice Canada (JC), National Film Board (NFB), National Research Council (NRC), Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Privy Council Office (PCO), Public Safety Canada (PS), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Senate of Canada, Service Canada (ServCan), Telefilm Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)

What they're lobbying on (15)
  • Visibility in Trade & Cultural Promotion – Recognize video games as a key part of Canada’s creative diplomacy and export strategy.
  • Right-to-Repair – Exclude video game consoles from repair exceptions under the Copyright Act to protect TPMs and prevent security risks (including implementation of C-244).
  • Retaining Talent in Canada – Ensure permanent residency programs (e.g., Express Entry) recognize digital occupations to retain global talent.
  • Privacy and Data Protection – Support modern, interoperable privacy laws that protect users while enabling innovation and global data flows.
  • Player Safety – Promote evidence-based frameworks to address harmful online behaviour while recognizing the structured nature of video games.
  • Intellectual Property as Foundation of Innovation – Maintain strong copyright protection to encourage investment and international competitiveness.
  • In-Game Spending & Player Confidence – Support transparency and parental-oversight tools to maintain consumer confidence in digital markets.
  • Improving Labour Mobility – Align federal-provincial frameworks to allow faster movement of talent across provinces.
  • Healthy Play & Digital Literacy – Promote balanced, informed engagement through education and digital-literacy initiatives for youth and families.
  • Games as Next-Generation Creative Exports – Include video games in trade missions, export programs, and creative-industry promotion efforts.
  • Foreign Investment – Support transparent, predictable implementation of Investment Canada Act reforms that maintain investor confidence in creative industries.
  • Domestic Skills Development (STEAM) – Strengthen post-secondary alignment with industry needs through digital-skills training and partnerships.
  • Digital Trade – Promote tariff-free digital trade, open data flows, and recognition of digital goods under trade agreements like CUSMA and the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property – Maintain strong technological protection measures (TPMs) and copyright frameworks to safeguard creative investment and prevent piracy.
  • AI and Emerging Technologies – Advocate for clear, innovation-friendly rules for AI applications in video games. Intellectual Property as Foundation of Innovation

Registration 966429-387907-1. Look it up in the official Registry

Reported meetings

Spreadsheet

  • Reported by Asma Aarab · Consultant

    • Runa Angus · Senior Director, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
    • Darren Choi · Senior Policy Advisor, Canadian Heritage (PCH)
    • Frederick Matern · Manager, Canadian Heritage (PCH)
    • Marc-Antoine Therrien · Manager, Public Safety Canada (PS)
    and 1 more
    • Brett Kubicek · chief advisor, Public Safety Canada (PS)
    Player Safety – Promote evidence-based frameworks to address harmful online behaviour while recognizing the structured nature of video games. Read more

    In-Game Spending & Player Confidence – Support transparency and parental-oversight tools to maintain consumer confidence in digital markets.

    Privacy and Data Protection – Support modern, interoperable privacy laws that protect users while enabling innovation and global data flows.

    Official report

  • Reported by Asma Aarab · Consultant

    • Amy Cervenan · Manager - Digital Media and Distribution Policy, Canadian Heritage (PCH)
    • David Carlton · research and policy analyst, Canadian Heritage (PCH)
    • Kofi Kobia · Director, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
    Retaining Talent in Canada – Ensure permanent residency programs (e.g., Express Entry) recognize digital occupations to retain global talent. Read more

    Improving Labour Mobility – Align federal-provincial frameworks to allow faster movement of talent across provinces.

    Foreign Investment – Support transparent, predictable implementation of Investment Canada Act reforms that maintain investor confidence in creative industries.

    Digital Trade – Promote tariff-free digital trade, open data flows, and recognition of digital goods under trade agreements like CUSMA and the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

    Domestic Skills Development (STEAM) – Strengthen post-secondary alignment with industry needs through digital-skills training and partnerships.

    Official report

From the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying's open data, published November 5, 2026. Reports cover oral, arranged meetings with designated public office holders since November 22, 2021; lobbyists file them by the 15th of the following month. Names of MPs are matched to the current House of Commons, and bills are linked when the lobbyist's own description makes clear which bill it means. Contains information licensed under the Open Data Licence Agreement — Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying. Licence. PolitiKit is independent and is not endorsed by the Commissioner of Lobbying.