And the most lobbied minister of 2022 is...

Also: Bill 124 appeal, meet Ford's new chief, looking back on a scoop-filled year, holiday headlines

🎊 PROGRAMMING NOTE: This is a special edition rounding up headlines from the past week. Queen’s Park Observer is taking some time off to recharge during the winter holidays, which helps me write better stuff the rest of the year.

Thanks for closing out a wild year in #onpoli with us! Let’s do it again in 2023. We’ll be back in your inbox regularly starting January 3.

ABOVE THE FOLD

Photo: Getty

TOP INFLUENCERS — 2022 saw the return of many Covid-cancelled goings-on, including in-person lobbyist receptions at Queen’s Park.

Dozens of advocacy groups, industry insiders and stakeholders were back to rubbing shoulders with MPPs and their top staff over hors d’oeuvres and made-in-Ontario wine in repurposed committee meeting rooms over breakfast, lunch and dinner.

That’s over and above their usual behind-the-scenes lobbying — which, in Ontario, isn’t exactly the most transparent of systems. It’s certainly less forthcoming than on the Hill and at Toronto City Hall, where more details about lobbyist meetings are publicly disclosed.

(Reminder: Lobbying rules are under review. Catch up on our scoop about that — and the ethics’ watchdog’s call for tougher standards — here.)

What we do know: The Office of Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, J. DAVID WAKE, publishes high-level stats laying out top lobbying efforts. Let’s dig in.

By the numbers: Next to Premier DOUG FORD, the most lobbied cabinet minister of 2022 was Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY, with 1,789 registrations targeting his office (as of December 27).

That’s not surprising, given Bethlenfalvy holds the province’s purse strings. Ford wasn’t so far ahead, with 2,378 registrations aimed at his team.

Sticking to the money theme, Economic Development Minister VIC FEDELI was next, with 1,632 lobbyists’ registrations directed at his file.

Treasury Board President PRABMEET SARKARIA (1,444 registrations), Health Minister SYLVIA JONES (1,131) and Housing Minister STEVE CLARK (1,025) rounded out the top five.

And the rest:

• Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister DAVID PICCINI: 950 registrations

• Infrastructure Minister KINGA SURMA: 932

• Transportation Minister CAROLINE MULRONEY: 825

• Attorney General DOUG DOWNEY: 660

• Long-Term Care Minister PAUL CALANDRA: 582

• Indigenous Affairs Minister GREG RICKFORD: 555

• Associate Minister of Transportation STAN CHO: 546

• Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE: 535

• Energy Minister TODD SMITH: 526

• Children, Community and Social Services Minister MERRILEE FULLERTON: 520

• Colleges and Universities Minister JILL DUNLOP: 498

• Red Tape Reduction Minister PARM GILL: 493

• Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Minister LISA THOMPSON: 489

• Minister of Labour Immigration Training and Skills Development MONTE MCNAUGHTON: 487

• Associate Mental Health and Addictions Minister MICHAEL TIBOLLO: 447

• Seniors and Accessibility Minister RAYMOND CHO: 444

• Government House Leader PAUL CALANDRA: 411

• Minister of Northern Development Minister GREG RICKFORD: 384

• Solicitor General MICHAEL KERZNER: 383

• Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOUG FORD: 307

• Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister NEIL LUMSDEN: 307

• Public and Business Service Delivery Minister KALEED RASHEED: 301

• Natural Resources and Forestry Minister GRAYDON SMITH: 296

• Associate Minister of Housing MICHAEL PARSA: 289

• Mines Minister GEORGE PIRIE: 271

• Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister MICHAEL FORD: 178

• Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity CHARMAINE WILLIAMS: 172

• Francophone Affairs Minister CAROLINE MULRONEY: 161

• Legislative Affairs Minister PAUL CALANDRA: 104

TOP AGENCIES — The most lobbied agencies, in order: Ontario Health, Independent Electricity System Operator, Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx, Ontario Energy Board, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Ontario Power Generation (or its subsidiaries) and the Toronto Central LHIN.

TOP ISSUES — The Top 10 issues were: Economic Development and Trade, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, Covid/Pandemic response, Municipal Affairs, Industry, Research and Innovation, Taxation and Finance, and Transportation.

TOP SCOOPS — We’re reflecting on a scoop-filled year by rounding up our most read, shared and clicked stories — thanks to readers like you!

Here are Queen’s Park Observer’s Top 22 stories of 2022:

1. Why can’t I find a Del Duca voter in Vaughan—Woodbridge?

2. ‘Are they going to put Ron Taverner in?’: Speaker rollback raises eyebrows

3. New Dems in disarray

4. NDP accuse PCs of 'revenge' over Speaker vote

5. Insiders dish on future Grit, NDP leaders

6. 2022 campaign receipts revealed

7. The 9:01 Club is growing

8. Stiles campaign materials leak ahead of NDP leadership bid

9. Grits big platform weekend (and a chief-of-staff mini-shuffle)

10. Is this the next OLP president?

11. Summer sitting schedule revealed

12. Ad watch: PCs go hard on CUPE, Grits come back to life

13. Meet the policy mind behind iGaming

14. Meet the incoming PC Party exec

15. OPS WFH comes to an end

16. Q+A: 338Canada breaks down the polls

17. Lindsey Park's post-PC life

18. Battleground watch: Top 10 closest races circa 2018

19. To strike or not to strike?

20. No honeymoon for Ford

21. Grits red-light candidate in Newmarket

22. Poll watch: PCs sitting pretty

Hungry for more? Get all our top stories in the archive.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

NEW CHIEF — PATRICK SACKVILLE is replacing JAMIE WALLACE as Premier DOUG FORD’s chief of staff. Sackville was most recently Ford’s principal secretary, which we had the jump on.

EXIT — MICHELLE ERVIN, longtime staffer on the NDP’s comms team, has left the Pink Palace.

BEYOND THE BUBBLE — More than a decade later, Metrolinx comms pro ANNE MARIE AIKINS is hanging up her hat next month.