Defence Minister Anand names defence procurement, industry relations director
National Defence Minister Anita Anand now has a director of defence procurement and industry relations in her office, hiring Thomas Gagné to take on the new title. Previously, Léo Newman, who left the minister’s office in August, tackled the procurement and industry files as a senior policy adviser. Gagné started on the job last week, […]
New press secretary, operations director on deck for Rural Economic Development Minister Hutchings
Federal Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings has seen a fair bit of movement in her office since Hill Climbers last checked in, with both a new press secretary and a new director of operations on deck, among other changes. Luka Vujic, who’d been press secretary to Hutchings since January, left the minister’s office in […]
Party Central: Leclerc’s book launch draws Poilievre, Scheer, Warkentin, and more
When most Canadians see a politician delivering a speech on an issue like child care, they may never consider the team of people working behind the scenes. But Marc-André Leclerc’s new book, Confidences Politiques, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the teams that support the politicians, based on interviews with 15 current and former political staffers […]
Staff changes for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu
There are a number of notable staffing changes to catch up on in Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu’s office, where, most recently, Kaitlyn Peters has been hired as the new assistant to the minister’s parliamentary secretary, Liberal MP Vance Badawey. Peters, who joined Hajdu’s team in September, has been working on the Hill as an […]
Director-level changes in Emergency Preparedness Minister Blair’s office
Emergency Preparedness Minister and Privy Council President Bill Blair, who’s been busy with the federal response to Hurricane Fiona, has seen a number of director-level staff changes in his office recently, with new hands at the till of his communications, policy, and operations shops. Christina Rettig—who’s been director of policy and a senior adviser to Blair […]
Kathy Kettler becomes first-ever Inuk chief of staff to a federal minister
Kathy Kettler has become the first-ever Inuk chief of staff on Parliament Hill, after recently being tapped to take charge of Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal’s office. Kettler was hired to the role earlier this month, with her predecessor, Jeff Valois, having marked his last day in Vandal’s office on Sept. 9. She was most […]
Sports Minister St-Onge scores a new communications director
Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge, who’s also responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, has a new director running her communications shop this session, with Floriane Bonneville having recently returned to the Hill to take on the role. Elda André-Roy, a former manager of corporate communications for the Canada Infrastructure […]
Comms staff changes for ministers Lebouthillier, Boissonnault
National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier and Tourism and Associate Finance Minister Randy Boissonnault have both recently made changes to their communications staff lineups. Director of communications Justine Lesage exited Lebouthillier’s office in late August, and has already begun a new job as a communications and press relations adviser with the Centre hospitalier d l’Université de […]
New operations director on deck in Minister Sajjan’s office
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan scooped up Emily Heffernan from National Defence Minister Anita Anand’s team to take over as his new director of operations in mid July. Heffernan, who had been deputy director of communications to Anand since just after the 2021 federal election, fills a vacancy left by Sher Rodrigo, who exited Sajjan’s […]
Veterans Affairs Minister MacAulay down a director
Veterans Affairs and Associate Defence Minister Lawrence MacAulay is in need of a new director of operations following the recent departure of Joshua Bragg. Bragg left the minister’s office after roughly two years in mid-August. He was first hired as a senior adviser to MacAulay in October 2020 and was officially promoted to lead operations […]
