Don't tase the lobbyists bro

Remember that whole ending the lobbying revolving door thing? Well, more developments from the it's a small world after all front, with the CBC's Political Bytes blog pointing-out highly-placed Conservative Ken Boessenkool has registered to lobby the government behalf of Taser International, supplier of the stun guns used by the RCMP and other forces.

Ken Boessenkool worked as a senior adviser to Stockwell Day when he was treasurer of Alberta. Day, of course, is now the minister of public safety, responsible for the RCMP.

In his lobbyist registration, Boessenkool lists among his duties promoting an awareness campaign to educate decision-makers on the facts of Taser International's products.

Among the government institutions to be contacted? The department of public safety, headed by his former boss.

At least Ken shouldn't have much trouble getting Stock on the phone to talk tasers.

Ken's Conservative connections don't stop with Stock, however. As Politics Watch pointed out, Ken was a senior policy advisor to then opposition leader Stephen Harper from 2002 to 2005. After that he went into lobbying with Hill and Knowlton, where his clients interestingly included the Canadian Association of Income Trusts. (Hmm, maybe his influence isn't too great after all.)

Boessenkool was also a key player in the last Conservative war room. And he co-authored the infamous Alberta firewall letter with Harper, Tom Flanagan, Ted Morton and others, and is a long-time Harper confidant.

Anyway, just glad to see that Conservative anti-lobbyist rhetoric isn't stopping well-placed Conservatives from trading on their connections to lobby on behalf of their clients. Everyone knows the Conservatives only had a problem with Liberal lobbyists, after all.

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