A small town in eastern Ontario, Brighton, planned to hire a lobbying firm, Atlas Strategic Advisors, to help with securing funding for upgrades to its water treatment facility, but things quickly fell apart after comments made by councillors were used to suggest that the Ford government played favorites with insiders. The town was applying for funding worth tens of millions of dollars through a provincial grant pool totaling $825 million. The firm Atlas Strategic Advisors is run by Amin Massoudi, a former Ford government staffer who served as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s principal secretary. Councillors in Brighton believed that Massoudi’s connections with the government were key to pushing forward their infrastructure needs.
During a council meeting, councillors expressed their support for hiring Atlas Strategic Advisors, with one councillor mentioning that the firm would work the “backroom” to ensure the town’s projects were not overlooked. However, opposition parties at Queen’s Park were quick to criticize the government for favoring political insiders and forcing municipalities to turn to lobbyists in order to be heard. This led to Atlas withdrawing its services from the town due to the backlash that followed the comments made by the councillors. Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander spent a significant amount of time apologizing to the provincial government, emphasizing that lobbyists can achieve different objectives than politicians.
Despite the comments made by councillors, Housing Minister Paul Calandra dismissed the idea that hiring lobbyists would benefit municipalities in getting to the front of the line for funding. He suggested that hiring lobbyists to speak to the government was not an effective use of taxpayer money. The mayor of Brighton, Ostrander, also acknowledged that while he could advocate for the town, lobbyists would be able to communicate effectively with government staff working on the funding application that Brighton had submitted. Ostrander did not rule out the idea that Atlas’ relationships with the government made them an appealing choice for the town.
Mayor Ostrander described the situation as regrettable and acknowledged that the intention behind hiring a lobbyist was to have someone at the provincial staffing level communicate effectively on behalf of the town. Despite the setback with Atlas withdrawing its services, Ostrander indicated that the town may not seek out another lobbying firm as a replacement. He emphasized the importance of engaging with government officials who have existing relationships in order to effectively advocate for the town’s needs, especially when large sums of funding are at stake. The mayor expressed his disappointment over the situation and the negative impact it had on the town’s efforts to secure infrastructure funding.
In conclusion, the town of Brighton’s plans to hire a lobbying firm to help with infrastructure funding were derailed by comments made by councillors that were used to suggest government favoritism towards insiders. The backlash led to the firm withdrawing its services, and the mayor spent time apologizing to the provincial government. Despite the criticism, the mayor defended the need for effective communication with government officials and acknowledged the role that lobbyists can play in advocating for the town’s needs. While the town may not seek out another lobbying firm, the incident highlights the challenges faced by municipalities in securing funding and the complex dynamics of government relationships.
