Pop quiz

One lobbyist (indeed, a lobbyist for lobbyists) makes a jaw-dropping claim in trying to contain the fallout from the Cons' selective leaking of budget consultation documents to a few of his kind:

"I would argue it doesn't help our reputation and that's unfortunate," said Charles King, president of the Government Relations Institute of Canada, a lobbying industry association. "Lobbying is a legal, constitutionally mandated [activity]. We play a very important process in policy development and I would argue we still continue to do that."

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: review the Constitution Act, 1867 and Constitution Act, 1982 and identify where private-sector lobbying is "mandated".

(Though in fairness to King, I'm sure he has some ideas as to how to change the current constitution to make sure the lobbying sector has a guaranteed place in our system of government.)