Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to reporters at the Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax on July 15.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
The Ontario government has hired an American lobbying firm to target lawmakers before and after the fall U.S. election, part of Premier Doug Ford’s plan to promote provincial interests to the next administration.
The contract for up to $1.3-million with Capitol Counsel, a Washington-based consulting firm, includes a fixed amount of $54,500 per month for government relations and public-affairs services. According to a copy of the contract posted online, services began on Aug. 1 and run until July 31, 2025, for an eight-month post-election period.
It was filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the U.S., which requires foreign countries to detail any lobbying efforts with federal officials.
The decision to retain Capitol Counsel in the lead-up to the Nov. 5 election, which will see either a new Democratic or Republican administration sworn in, marks the highest value contract the Ford government has signed with a U.S. firm.
The efforts were initiated amid an uncertain time in U.S. politics, with Vice-President Kamala Harris recently taking over the Democratic ticket from President Joe Biden in what was supposed to be a rematch against former president Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. Ontario is hoping to avoid protectionist trade policies from both parties, and to promote parts of its energy sector, such as nuclear power, small modular reactors and critical minerals, the government said.
According to the contract terms, the Ontario government will pay up to $1.308-million for services, including travel, meal and accommodation expenses. The document is signed between the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs in cabinet office and Capitol Counsel, which describes itself as a bipartisan firm that brings decades of experience in federal policy-making and politics. According to a report by Bloomberg Government, a subscription-based service that provides data and analysis about government affairs, the firm was among the top 10 lobbyist revenue earners in 2023. The firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The contract states that prior to the election, the firm will provide the government with “strategic advice and tactics” for securing meetings with key government representatives and other stakeholders. It says the firm must provide a repository of U.S. government and business contacts “for Ontario to leverage,” and research and analyze proposed policies and legislation that would affect Ontario’s key issues and sectors.
After the November vote, the firm must create a “first 100 days” plan, as well as advice for long-term issues, including a review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement free-trade deal. The contract also asks for an updated U.S. contacts database, up to 10 whitepapers addressing key policies for Ontario and a final report on what was achieved.
The Premier’s Office said the decision to hire Capitol Counsel is justified, pointing to the fact that a review of CUSMA must be completed in 2026.
“With billions of dollars of economic activity on the line, we’re investing now in the relationships we’ll need to protect good Ontario jobs. People are responding very positively to Ontario’s nuclear and critical mineral advantage and we’re hitting the ground telling our story,” spokeswoman Grace Lee said in a statement.
The Official Opposition, however, questioned the value of the arrangement.
“Ford is planning to spend how much money on a foreign consulting firm? We need to know how that money will be spent, and what Ontarians will get out of it – because Ford’s track record of handing out taxpayer dollars to private companies isn’t exactly in the public interest,” said NDP MPP Catherine Fife, the party’s finance critic.
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said trade with the U.S. is critical to Ontario’s economic success and that a united approach is needed.
“Meanwhile, Doug Ford has spent billions in tax payer dollars to reward rich insiders. Ontario workers should ask themselves if Ford’s million-dollar lobbyists are a wise use of our tax dollars for such an important file,” she said in a statement.
Late last year, the Ford government also hired a former senior executive at General Motors Canada as its new trade representative to the United States. David Paterson, who also served in senior roles at BlackBerry and Manulife Financial, began his three-year term on Nov. 23 and is paid $350,000 a year. The province installed Mr. Paterson in an effort to position itself as the premier destination in North America for investment in the auto and electric-vehicle battery sector.
Mr. Ford has also held meetings with a group of U.S. governors, including Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, at the Ontario legislature earlier this year.