We come to Robert Batherson, the President of the National Council of the CPC. This is yet another example of the revolving door between politics and lobbying.
First elected to National Council in 2016, Robert Batherson has been an active Conservative for more than 25 years. He served as the president of two Nova Scotia electoral district associations and was a member of the National Policy Committee in 2012-2013. Rob has been as active at the provincial level, serving as president of the PC Party of Nova Scotia from 2009 to 2012 and co-chairing the 2006 PC Party of Nova Scotia Leadership Convention.
As Executive Vice President, Public Relations, for one of the largest communications agencies in Atlantic Canada, Rob provides counsel and support to senior leaders in a wide range of sectors. He is an active community volunteer with extensive board governance experience, having chaired both the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Neptune Theatre Foundation, where he became one of only eight people in the theatre’s 58-year history to be named honourary director in recognition of his service.
Rob holds a Bachelor of Public Relations degree and certificate of proficiency in French from Mount Saint Vincent University.
After a stint in Federal politics, Batherson got involved with Nova Scotia politics. He then spent over a decade at the PR firm “Colour”, which was essentially lobbying and marketing. He’s now back with the Federal Conservative Party, and is the President of the National Council.
In short, Batherson is one of the people who actually run the party, even if very few outside of that circle know who he is. But here’s where things take an ugly turn:
On May 16, 2021, the MacDonald Notebook reported that Batherson was starting up his own PR firm, Harbourview Public Affairs. The Halifax Chamber of Commerce also shared the announcement.
It’s unclear which clients Batherson will be taking on as the Owner of Habourview Public Affairs. Nonetheless, this seems to be a serious conflict of interest. If the CPC had any integrity, they would strip him of his Party role.
Just a hunch, but it’s likely that pharmaceutical companies will be approaching him, given his new found position as the man behind Erin O’Toole
A Few Names To Keep In Mind
Erin O’Toole: ex-Facebook lobbyist, CPC Leader
Amber Ruddy: CURRENT pharma lobbyist, CPC National Council Secretary
Robert Batherson: CURRENT lobbyist, CPC National Council President
Melissa Lantsman: ex-pharma lobbyist, CPC Candidate for Thornhill
(1) https://www.conservative.ca/
(2) https://www.conservative.ca/team/national-council/
(3) https://www.conservative.ca/team-member/robert-batherson/
(4) https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-batherson-he-him-7601a6a3/
(5) https://archive.is/8dm97
(6) https://www.themacdonaldnotebook.ca/2021/05/16/rob-batherson-incorporates-his-own-pr-company-harbourview-public-affairs/
(7) http://business.halifaxchamber.com/members/member/harbourview-public-affairs-179707
(8) https://secure.llscanada.org/site/TR/MWOY/Atlantic?px=1198385&pg=personal&fr_id=1101
(9) https://www.conservative.ca/team-member/amber-ruddy/
- B.C. Pharmacy Association
- Capital Hill Group
- Counsel Public Affairs (Georgakopoulos)
- Counsel Public Affairs (Prevost, Lavigne)
- Counsel Public Affairs (Ruddy)
- Counsel Public Affairs (Ruddy)
- Counsel Public Affairs (Federal)
- Crestview Strategy
- Crestview Strategy (Blais)
- Crestview Strategy (Arsenault)
- Crestview Strategy (The Gang)
- Crestview Strategy (GlaxoSmithKline & Medicago)
- Ensight Canada (Shoppers Drug Mart)
- Enterprise Canada/Sussex Strategy
- Harbourview Public Affairs (Batherson)
- Loyalist Public Affairs (Mader, Froggatt)
- Magnet Strategy Group (Danielle Peters)
- McKercher LLP (VIDO-InterVac, Douglas Richardson)
- Rubicon Strategy (Letersky)
- Wellington Advocacy (Curran et. al)
- Various Nova Scotia Lobbying (Iain Rankin, Strang)
- Various Ontario Lobbying, Bill 160 (Disclosing Payoffs)
This ties in nicely with James Corbett’s recent video titled “Hopium.” People keep falling for political saviors. There’s every reason not to. But grasping that fact requires a scintilla of independent thinking and scintilla of natural curiousity and a willingness to actively learn, rather than passively learn, aka let tv ‘educate’ you.