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rubicon_strategy [2021/12/15 07:32]
mathew 		rubicon_strategy [2022/09/13 09:30] (current)
liam [Mike Coates]
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 ====== Rubicon Strategy ====== ====== Rubicon Strategy ======
  
-{{:rubiconstrategylogo1.png?400|}}+{{ :rubiconstrategylogo1.png?200|}}
  
-**Rubicon Strategy** is a lobbying firm with offices in [[Ottawa]] and [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]].((Rubicon Strategy Inc. //Government Relations - Toronto.// Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://rubiconstrategy.com/government-relations/toronto)) The company was co-founded by Kory Teneycke and Mike Coates, and represents a number of companies and organizations with interest in the [[COVID-19]] crisis.+**Rubicon Strategy** is a lobbying firm with offices in [[Ottawa]] and [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]].((Rubicon Strategy Inc. //Government Relations - Toronto.// Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://rubiconstrategy.com/government-relations/toronto)) The company was co-founded by [[Kory Teneycke]] and [[Mike Coates]], and represents a number of companies and organizations with interest in the [[COVID-19]] crisis.
  
 ===== Background ===== ===== Background =====
  
-Teneycke served as Campaign Manager for [[Doug Ford]]’s successful campaign for Premier of Ontario in 2018.(( Maher, S. (2019, January 30). //For access to the Ford government, two names matter most.// Macleans. Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://www.macleans.ca/politics/for-access-to-the-ford-government-two-names-matter-most/)) He incorporated Rubicon Strategy on June 27, 2018, corporate filings show, just 20 days after the election.((Canada Corporation Directory. (2018, November 19). //RUBICON STRATEGY INC.// Retrieved November 23, 2021, from+Teneycke served as Campaign Manager for [[covid-19_pandemic:politics:Doug Ford]]’s successful campaign for Premier of Ontario in 2018.(( Maher, S. (2019, January 30). //For access to the Ford government, two names matter most.// Macleans. Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://www.macleans.ca/politics/for-access-to-the-ford-government-two-names-matter-most/)) He incorporated Rubicon Strategy on June 27, 2018, corporate filings show, just 20 days after the election.((Canada Corporation Directory. (2018, November 19). //RUBICON STRATEGY INC.// Retrieved November 23, 2021, from
 https://www.canadacompanyregistry.com/companies/rubicon-strategy-inc/)) https://www.canadacompanyregistry.com/companies/rubicon-strategy-inc/))
  
 While Teneycke is prevented by law from representing clients to the government he helped elect, he can legally profit through the junior colleagues he employs at Rubicon.(( Office of the Integrity Commissioner. (2020, June 1). //What is a conflict of interest and how does it affect my lobbying?// Retrieved December 3, 2021, from http://www.oico.on.ca/home/lobbyists-registration/interpretation-bulletins/what-is-a-conflict-of-interest-and-how-does-it-affect-my-lobbying)) While Teneycke is prevented by law from representing clients to the government he helped elect, he can legally profit through the junior colleagues he employs at Rubicon.(( Office of the Integrity Commissioner. (2020, June 1). //What is a conflict of interest and how does it affect my lobbying?// Retrieved December 3, 2021, from http://www.oico.on.ca/home/lobbyists-registration/interpretation-bulletins/what-is-a-conflict-of-interest-and-how-does-it-affect-my-lobbying))
  
-On March 17, 2020, a state of emergency was declared by Premier Doug Ford using the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, following the [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=World_Health_Organization|World Health Organization]]’s declaration of a pandemic six days prior.((Rodrigues, G. (2020, March 18). //Ontario government declares state of emergency amid coronavirus pandemic.// Global News. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://globalnews.ca/news/6688074/ontario-doug-ford-coronavirus-covid-19-march-17/)) ((Cucinotta, D., & Vanelli, M. (2020). //WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic.// Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 91(1), 157–160.+On March 17, 2020, a state of emergency was declared by Premier Doug Ford using the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, following the [[World Health Organization]]’s declaration of a pandemic six days prior.((Rodrigues, G. (2020, March 18). //Ontario government declares state of emergency amid coronavirus pandemic.// Global News. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://globalnews.ca/news/6688074/ontario-doug-ford-coronavirus-covid-19-march-17/)) ((Cucinotta, D., & Vanelli, M. (2020). //WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic.// Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 91(1), 157–160.
 https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i1.9397)) ((//Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.9.// Accessed December 3, 2021. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e09)) https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i1.9397)) ((//Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.9.// Accessed December 3, 2021. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e09))
  
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 Teneycke is the co-founder and CEO of Rubicon Strategy. He has a long resume in Canadian politics and business. He served as Director of Communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper from July 7, 2008 until shortly after July 28, 2009.((The Canadian Press. (2008, July 4). //Harper selects new communications director.// Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from Teneycke is the co-founder and CEO of Rubicon Strategy. He has a long resume in Canadian politics and business. He served as Director of Communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper from July 7, 2008 until shortly after July 28, 2009.((The Canadian Press. (2008, July 4). //Harper selects new communications director.// Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from
 https://archive.ph/Gf5db)) ((CTV.ca News Staff. (2009, July 28). //Harper’s communications director to step down.// CTVNews. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://archive.ph/Gf5db)) ((CTV.ca News Staff. (2009, July 28). //Harper’s communications director to step down.// CTVNews. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from
-https://www.ctvnews.ca/harper-s-communications-director-to-step-down-1.420839)) He has weaved through various media roles including consulting and executive roles at SUN TV, and as a “pundit” on CTV and CBC (where he still writes opinion pieces).((Vongdouangchanh, B. (2009, August 31). Former PMO communications director Teneycke joins SUN TV. Hill Times. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from https://archive.ph/AQLpT)) ((CBC News. //Kory Teneycke.// Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/author/kory-teneycke-1.5436229))+https://www.ctvnews.ca/harper-s-communications-director-to-step-down-1.420839)) He has weaved through various media roles including consulting and executive roles at SUN TV, and as a “pundit” on [[CTV News]] and [[CBC]] (where he still writes opinion pieces).((Vongdouangchanh, B. (2009, August 31). Former PMO communications director Teneycke joins SUN TV. Hill Times. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from https://archive.ph/AQLpT)) ((CBC News. //Kory Teneycke.// Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/author/kory-teneycke-1.5436229))
  
 He returned to politics in 2015 to act as Chief Spokesman for the Conservative Party in advance of that year’s federal election.((Ditchburn, J. (2015, March 18). //Sun News personalities join, or rejoin, Conservative Party fold.// The Globe and Mail. Retrieved He returned to politics in 2015 to act as Chief Spokesman for the Conservative Party in advance of that year’s federal election.((Ditchburn, J. (2015, March 18). //Sun News personalities join, or rejoin, Conservative Party fold.// The Globe and Mail. Retrieved
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 Teneycke incorrectly stated that “pharmaceutical companies are not lobbying for [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=vaccine_passport|vaccine passports]] anywhere in the world, to his knowledge, citing the ‘near infinite’ demand for their Covid shots.” Today, this is misleading at best, given that several countries have explicitly asked the companies in question to stop sending doses due to oversupply and lack of demand.((Kew, J., & Cele, S. (2021, November 24). //South Africa Asks J&J, Pfizer to Stop Sending Vaccines.// BNN Bloomberg. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/south-africa-asks-j-j-pfizer-to-stop-sending-vaccines-1.1686641)) (( Arora, N., Das, K. N., & Ahmed, A. (2021, September 21). //India govt won’t buy Pfizer, Moderna vaccines amid local output -sources.// Reuters. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from Teneycke incorrectly stated that “pharmaceutical companies are not lobbying for [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=vaccine_passport|vaccine passports]] anywhere in the world, to his knowledge, citing the ‘near infinite’ demand for their Covid shots.” Today, this is misleading at best, given that several countries have explicitly asked the companies in question to stop sending doses due to oversupply and lack of demand.((Kew, J., & Cele, S. (2021, November 24). //South Africa Asks J&J, Pfizer to Stop Sending Vaccines.// BNN Bloomberg. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/south-africa-asks-j-j-pfizer-to-stop-sending-vaccines-1.1686641)) (( Arora, N., Das, K. N., & Ahmed, A. (2021, September 21). //India govt won’t buy Pfizer, Moderna vaccines amid local output -sources.// Reuters. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from
-https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-govt-wont-buy-pfizer-moderna-vaccines-amid-local-output-sources-2021-09-21/)) At worst, he is knowingly lying given that Rubicon represents [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=Providence_Therapeutics|Providence Therapeutics]] who are themselves making a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine product, and who specifically mention influence over “vaccine passports” in the lobbying registration.+https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-govt-wont-buy-pfizer-moderna-vaccines-amid-local-output-sources-2021-09-21/)) At worst, he is knowingly lying given that Rubicon represents [[pharmaceutical_companies:Providence Therapeutics]] who are themselves making a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine product, and who specifically mention influence over “vaccine passports” in the lobbying registration.
  
 ==== Mike Coates ==== ==== Mike Coates ====
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 {{:d0sl9txh_400x400.jpeg?200 |}} {{:d0sl9txh_400x400.jpeg?200 |}}
  
-Coates is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Rubicon Strategy. He has been a contributor to the Huffington Post, and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (which is associated with the business community of the [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=World_Economic_Forum|World Economic Forum]]).((4 Coates, M. (2015, May 25). //What Was Really Being Talked About in Davos.// HuffPost. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/talk-davos-_b_6594868)) ((Grønntun, L. E. (2020, January 22). //WILL 2020 BE A TIPPING POINT FOR SUSTAINABILITY?// Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Retrieved+Coates is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Rubicon Strategy. He has been a contributor to the Huffington Post, and CEO of [[Hill+Knowlton Strategies]] (which is associated with the business community of the [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=World_Economic_Forum|World Economic Forum]]).((4 Coates, M. (2015, May 25). //What Was Really Being Talked About in Davos.// HuffPost. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/talk-davos-_b_6594868)) ((Grønntun, L. E. (2020, January 22). //WILL 2020 BE A TIPPING POINT FOR SUSTAINABILITY?// Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Retrieved
 December 4, 2021, from https://www.hkstrategies.com/en/will-2020-be-a-tipping-point-for-sustainability/)) December 4, 2021, from https://www.hkstrategies.com/en/will-2020-be-a-tipping-point-for-sustainability/))
  
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 Alongside her colleague Mike Coates, Letersky is also lobbying for Providence Therapeutics. Rather than funding, however, her focus is ensuring that “individuals participating in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, as approved by [[Health Canada]], are eligible to enter and work in places where proof of vaccination is required.”((Registration No. CL4899-20211021027307 with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner)) This almost certainly refers to Providence’s own mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product in development. Alongside her colleague Mike Coates, Letersky is also lobbying for Providence Therapeutics. Rather than funding, however, her focus is ensuring that “individuals participating in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, as approved by [[Health Canada]], are eligible to enter and work in places where proof of vaccination is required.”((Registration No. CL4899-20211021027307 with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner)) This almost certainly refers to Providence’s own mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product in development.
  
-Further, Letersky represents [[Innovative Medicines Canada]], an association of pharmaceutical companies that includes COVID-19 vaccine developers [[AstraZeneca]], [[Janssen]]/[[Johnson & Johnson]], and [[Pfizer]], as well as [[AbbVie]], [[Amgen]], [[Bayer]], [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]], [[Eli Lilly]], [[Emergent Biosolutions]], [[Gilead]], [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=gsk|GlaxoSmithKline]], [[Roche]], [[Medicago]], [[Merck]], [[Novartis]], [[Sanofi]] and roughly a dozen others.(( Innovative Medicines Canada. //Member Companies.// Retrieved November 2, 2021, from http://innovativemedicines.ca/about/member-companies/)) Their lobbying seeks to “collaborate with government to ensure ‘Transfer of Value’ Regulations avoid unintended consequences and support a sustainable, balanced and credible approach” surrounding the “Health Sector Payment Transparency ACT”.((Registration No. CL4899-20200917025456 with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner))+Further, Letersky represents [[Innovative Medicines Canada]], an association of pharmaceutical companies that includes COVID-19 vaccine developers [[AstraZeneca]], [[Janssen]]/[[Johnson & Johnson]], and [[pharmaceutical_companies:pfizer|Pfizer]], as well as [[AbbVie]], [[Amgen]], [[Bayer]], [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]], [[Eli Lilly]], [[Emergent Biosolutions]], [[Gilead]], [[https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=gsk|GlaxoSmithKline]], [[Roche]], [[Medicago]], [[Merck]], [[Novartis]], [[Sanofi]] and roughly a dozen others.(( Innovative Medicines Canada. //Member Companies.// Retrieved November 2, 2021, from http://innovativemedicines.ca/about/member-companies/)) Their lobbying seeks to “collaborate with government to ensure ‘Transfer of Value’ Regulations avoid unintended consequences and support a sustainable, balanced and credible approach” surrounding the “Health Sector Payment Transparency ACT”.((Letersky, S. (2021, September 22). //Consultant Lobbyist Registration No. CL4899-20200917025456.// Office of the Integrity Commissioner; Government of Ontario. https://www.campfire.wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=screencapture-lobbyist-oico-on-ca-pages-public-publicsearch-consultantlobbyistpreview-aspx-2022-01-02-12_44_20.pdf))
  
 Doubling down on Janssen Inc, she is actively lobbying for the company to “engage in discussions with MPPs and staff about current and emerging policies impacting the evaluation, marketing, sale or use of pharmaceutical products in Ontario.” In particular, the registration references the “pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, National Pharmacare, Changes to the Patented Medicines Product Review Board, The use of real-world evidence in the evaluation of pharmaceutical products.” Finally, Letersky is engaging MPPs and staff directly “that have questions about the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.”((Registration No. CL4899-20200917025455 with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner)) Doubling down on Janssen Inc, she is actively lobbying for the company to “engage in discussions with MPPs and staff about current and emerging policies impacting the evaluation, marketing, sale or use of pharmaceutical products in Ontario.” In particular, the registration references the “pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, National Pharmacare, Changes to the Patented Medicines Product Review Board, The use of real-world evidence in the evaluation of pharmaceutical products.” Finally, Letersky is engaging MPPs and staff directly “that have questions about the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.”((Registration No. CL4899-20200917025455 with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner))
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 Like his colleague Patrick Harris, Smitheman is also working for Sienna Senior Living to “discuss ways that Sienna Senior Living can assist with the ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts and planned LTC sector transformation.”((Registration No. CL5107-20211001027202 with the Office of the Integrity Minister)) Like his colleague Patrick Harris, Smitheman is also working for Sienna Senior Living to “discuss ways that Sienna Senior Living can assist with the ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts and planned LTC sector transformation.”((Registration No. CL5107-20211001027202 with the Office of the Integrity Minister))
 +
 +==== Andrew Balfour ====
 +
 +{{ ::screen_shot_2022-04-07_at_11.56.29_pm.png?200|}}
 +
 +[[Andrew Balfour]] is a Managing Partner for the Ottawa branch of Rubicon Strategy.
 +
 +He lobbies the [[House of Commons of Canada]] on behalf of [[pharmaceutical_companies:Innovative Medicines Canada]].((//Innovative Medicines Canada/Médicaments Novateurs Canada / Andrew Balfour, Consultant.// (2022, March 28). 12-Month Lobbying Summary - Consultant. https://web.archive.org/web/20220408070050/https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/clntSmmry?clientOrgCorpNumber=367878&sMdKy=1649399840220))
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