Lobbying by Ontario Chamber of Commerce: its registrations, its lobbyists, the bills it has named and every meeting it has reported with federal office holders since November 2021.
Formerly Special Assistant - Policy and Communications, Minister's Office, Veterans Affairs Canada (2010–2011)
Ali Nasser Virji · Director, Policy
Andrea Carmona · Senior Manager, Public Affairs
Daniel Tisch · President and Chief Executive Office
Julie Martini · Vice President, Public Affairs
Louie Di Palma · Vice President, Programs
Institutions they may lobby: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canada Infrastructure Bank, Canada Post Corporation (CPC), Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Export Development Canada (EDC), Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev), Finance Canada (FIN), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Health Canada (HC), House of Commons, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), National Defence (DND), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Senate of Canada, Statistics Canada (StatCan), VIA Rail Canada
What they're lobbying on (19)Hide details
The OCC's advocacy is also focused on calling the government to expand
flow-through share (FTS) eligibility for the Canadian Exploration Expense (CEE) by including the costs of technical studies.
The OCC's advocacy is also focused on calling on government to ensure timely decisions, the government should mandate a firm deadline of two years to reach permitting decisions for new mining projects. Similarly, government needs to establish fixed decision timelines for permits and amendments that impact operating mines.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has launched a mining report focused on providing both federal and provincial orders of government with recommendations to consolidate all federal approvals within Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and formalize a Canada–Ontario ‘single window’ for mining approvals, building on Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework. This should apply to both new mines, and expansion of existing operation.
Advocacy relates to Canada's defence spending, meeting NATO targets, and leveraging Ontario's defence supply chain to support these targets.
Currently proposing to the Federal Economic Development Agency for the creation of The Gateway Project, an integrated B2B trade platform designed to strengthen Canadian trade and supply chains.
Internal trade - focusing on the federal government working with provincial governments across Canada to remove internal trade barriers, including through the introduction of Mutual Recognition Agreements.
USMCA and CETA, with respect to promoting international trade.
Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288, with respect to new wholesale rates.
Budget Submission Process with respect to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's budget submissions to the government in the spring of every calendar year.
Policy and advocacy around women’s economic empowerment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the OCC’s September report “The She-Covery Project” https://occ.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCC-shecovery-final.pdf): Use procurement to incentivize diversity and inclusion; include women in all decision-making bodies around economic recovery; improve long-term affordability and accessibility of child care; address the shortage of early childhood educators. Explore creative solutions ranging from in-program changes to workplace-based child care; support women’s reskilling; foster an inclusive innovation ecosystem for entrepreneurs; consider policy options to encourage more employers to offer flexible work arrangements;
Opportunities Fund with Employment and Social Development Canada: - The total Opportunities Fund is $1,194,410 (beginning in 2019 and flowing into 2021). The fund helps connect people with disabilities with employment.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), with respect to the expansion of allocations.
New agreements with Employment and Social Development Canada: Student Work Placement Program (SWPP):
- July 23, 2020 – signed an amending agreement with ESDC to deliver the Student Work Placement Program: $5,795,779 (Project #OCCCOVID19-01)
- July 14, 2020 – original agreement with ESCD: $16,347,883 (Project #016698664)
- This program is focused on supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships to work collaboratively to create more quality work-integrated learning opportunities for young Canadians & better align work-ready skills development to ensure that students and better position to secure more meaningful employment opportunities across all disciplines.
Infrastructure funding and development, specifically with respect to accelerating broadband connectivity.
Income Tax Act, with respect to refocusing regulatory and tax systems to foster innovation and productivity while removing barriers to growth, particularly for SMEs.
Government procurement as it pertains to small business access and an economic development tool.
EXCISE ACT, 2001, with respect to reducing cannabis excise taxes for 2020.
Canada Small Business Finance Program, with respect to offering temporary deferrals on payments during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as amend the CSBFP to support long-term recovery.
(https://occ.ca/wp-content/uploads/Access-to-capital-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf)
Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, with respect to participation on the council (pharmacare advocacy with regard to reforms to pharmaceutical coverage).
The OCC's advocacy is also focused on calling on government to ensure timely decisions, the government should mandate a firm deadline of two years to reach permitting decisions for new mining projects. Similarly, government needs to establish fixed decision timelines for permits and amendments that impact operating mines.Read more
The OCC's advocacy is also focused on calling the government to expand
flow-through share (FTS) eligibility for the Canadian Exploration Expense (CEE) by including the costs of technical studies.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has launched a mining report focused on providing both federal and provincial orders of government with recommendations to consolidate all federal approvals within Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and formalize a Canada–Ontario ‘single window’ for mining approvals, building on Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework. This should apply to both new mines, and expansion of existing operation.
Reported by Daniel Tisch · In-house (organization)
Jenna Sudds · Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and to the Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)
Reported by Daniel Tisch · In-house (organization)
Wayne Long · Secretary of State - Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions, Finance Canada (FIN)
Infrastructure funding and development, specifically with respect to accelerating broadband connectivity.Read more
Budget Submission Process with respect to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's budget submissions to the government in the spring of every calendar year.
Government procurement as it pertains to small business access and an economic development tool.
Internal trade - focusing on the federal government working with provincial governments across Canada to remove internal trade barriers, including through the introduction of Mutual Recognition Agreements.
Reported by Daniel Tisch · In-house (organization)
Anita Anand · Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
Internal trade - focusing on the federal government working with provincial governments across Canada to remove internal trade barriers, including through the introduction of Mutual Recognition Agreements.Read more
Filomena Tassi · Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev)
Helena Jaczek · Minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev)
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.