New Quebec desk in the PMO, as more join Liberal Party headquarters ahead of election
There have been a few recent staffing moves in and out of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, including Jonathan Kalles’ recent addition as the top office’s new Quebec regional affairs adviser—or Quebec desk, as it’s commonly referred to—on April 8. Before then, Mr. Kalles had spent the last roughly seven months as a senior adviser […]
Liberals likely to ‘hemorrhage’ significant chunk of their 32 Atlantic seats in next election, say political insiders
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to lose a significant chunk of the 32 seats the Grits won in Atlantic Canada in 2015 mostly because there’s a growing feeling in the region that the governing party has taken it for granted, say political insiders, but senior Liberals also say it’s too early to make any […]
An ‘ugly’ federal election not inevitable
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Conventional wisdom holds that the upcoming Canadian federal election will be one nasty affair. Indeed, a recent news story in this very newspaper sported the dramatic headline: “Expect ‘ugly’ and ‘intense’ election in the fall, fuelled by anger, say Liberal and NDP MPs.” So yes, everyone it seems is expecting the worst, including, I […]
Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland promotes Vincent Garneau as her new chief of staff, Broadhurst exits for top job at Liberal HQ
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is starting off this week with a new chief of staff at the helm in her office, replacing Jeremy Broadhurst who has now officially exited to join Liberal headquarters as the party’s 2019 campaign director. In turn, Vincent Garneau has been promoted from his previous role as director of policy […]
The sad state of Canada’s left wing
OAKVILLE, ONT.—According to recent media reports, Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer supposedly blundered when he secretly met not too long ago with oil company executives to plot a grand strategy aimed at ousting the Liberals from power. Why was that meeting seen as a blunder? Well, in ordinary times, such a move would certainly cause […]
Broadhurst steps up to the proverbial plate
TORONTO—Pause, for a moment, to say a prayer for Jeremy Broadhurst. A few days ago, Broadhurst was named the campaign director for the Liberal Party of Canada’s 2019 re-election effort. He was not the first choice. The first choice was Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff. The 2019 plan was for Telford to reprise her […]
Conservatives’ first-quarter haul breaks ceiling, but Liberals say grassroots support ‘strong’
The Conservatives’ record-breaking haul for the first quarter of $8-million puts them far ahead of the pack, and has them outpacing the Liberals by more than double—a sign that some strategists say suggests the Tories’ base is in far better shape than the governing party’s as the next federal election approaches. “What’s worrying [for the […]
Ministers Joly, MacAulay, Bains hire aides
Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay recently hired on Nick McRoberts to work full time in his ministerial office as a special assistant for communications. Mr. McRoberts started in the role earlier this spring. He first began working for the minister as an intern focused on digital communications in the spring of 2018 when Mr. MacAulay was […]
Rappaport lands press secretary gig in Justice Minister Lametti’s office
Justice Minister David Lametti was quick to get a new press secretary in place in his office, with Rachel Rappaport officially stepping into the role as of April 23. Ms. Rappaport was previously press secretary to Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regan, having started in that office under then-minister Jane Philpott in April 2018. She left […]
Comms aide Célia Canon exits Justice Minister Lametti’s office
Justice Minister David Lametti will soon have some new communications support in light of communications adviser Célia Canon’s recent exit from his office. Ms. Canon marked her last day working for Mr. Lametti on April 22. She’d been in place as a communications adviser—and de facto press secretary—in the minister’s office since August 2018, starting […]
