Slate of staffers added to PMO roster
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s office recently made it official by listing some staffers online who were hired months ago, including a few advance staff as well as former Parliamentary Press Gallery chief Terry Guillon who was finally listed under the online conflict of interest registry as lead media advance in the PMO. Mr. Guillon joined the PMO back in early […]
Secret Commons Board in stalemate with Bloc Québécois over House funding
The secretive and powerful governing board of the House of Commons and the Bloc Québécois are at an impasse over a request from the sovereignist party for additional research and staff to support its larger caucus following the 2015 federal election. The contingent of Bloc MPs is only two seats short of the 12 required […]
Liberals comfortable playing the long game with policy agenda
MONTREAL—If one had to describe the mode of Justin Trudeau’s government six months into its first mandate, it would be cruise control rather than full throttle. Whether by design or by necessity the Liberals are dealing with a heavy policy agenda by pacing themselves. In this fashion, 180 days after the swearing-in of a new […]
Tisha Ashton takes reins as Treasury Board President Brison’s interim chief of staff
National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier finally has a communications director in her ministerial office, after tapping aide Cédrick Beauregard, already her director of parliamentary affairs, to do double duty. Mr. Beauregard first joined Ms. Lebouthillier’s ministerial team in January as director of parliamentary affairs. As of April 29, he was also working as communications director […]
Chief of staff Church unexpectedly delivers baby at home, helped out by fellow staffer, MD neighbour, and, eventually, paramedics
Cabinet staffers and their ministers have been studying up on “deliverology” a lot lately, but Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s chief of staff, former Google Canada exec Leslie Church and Heather Chiasson, an aide to Transport Minister Marc Garneau, recently experienced delivery of a different kind. On April 26, Ms. Church gave birth to her second child, a son, […]
NDP fundraising plunge stirs leadership talk under Mulcair
The worst fundraising quarter for federal New Democrats since 2011 has added incentive for the party’s hierarchy and MPs to speed up a leadership election timetable to replace outgoing leader Tom Mulcair, with the official opposition Conservatives and governing Liberals set to push the NDP even further from the spotlight over the coming months. The […]
Families and Social Development Minister Duclos hires press secretary
Families, Children, and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was set to welcome a press secretary to his ministerial staff this week, Hill Climbers has learned. Emilie Gauduchon was expected to mark her first day in Mr. Duclos’ ministerial office on May 3. She will work closely with communications director Mathieu Filion in her new role as press secretary. […]
CPC donors made multiple contributions in election years, totaling almost $10,000 over limit
Three Conservative party supporters have separately acknowledged they exceeded Canada Elections Act contribution limits for candidates, nomination contestants and electoral district associations to a single political party—by a combined total of $9,795—when they donated large amounts of money to multiple Conservative candidates and riding associations for the 2008 and 2011 general elections, documents made public […]
Five-year ban on lobbying excessive, say former political staffers
Former political staffers are encouraging the Liberal government to review and amend the Federal Accountability Act, in particular to reduce the five-year lobbying ban included under the Lobbying Act, saying it deters people from working on the Hill and is overly burdensome. “From the time that the FAA [Federal Accountability Act] was brought in, there have […]
Justice Minister Wilson-Raybould hires Smith as policy director
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has hired Keith Smith to work as her director of policy in her ministerial office, helping to navigate the complicated justice files and provide advice in the role. Mr. Smith was most recently working as director of policy research and international affairs in the human rights promotion branch at the Canadian Human […]
