New staffers on board for ministers Fraser, Petitpas Taylor
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser has some fresh faces on his team, including new policy adviser Michael Kurliak. Kurliak joined Fraser’s team earlier this month after a year working as an aide to B.C. Liberal MP Terry Beech, most recently overseeing both his Hill and constituency teams as chief of staff. He’d earlier […]
Vandana Kattar-Miller among recent PMO exits
PMO director of operations, outreach, and planning Vandana Kattar-Miller left the top office, and the Hill, in late May. She spoke about her decision in a LinkedIn post, writing she had “mixed emotions” in announcing her last week on the Hill after more than a decade in politics. “I never imagined myself sitting in the […]
Veteran Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger exits the Hill after 16 years
After working under three Conservative leaders, and two interim ones, senior Conservative staffer Martin Bélanger officially bid farewell to Parliament Hill on June 10. Bélanger was most recently a deputy chief of staff and senior Quebec adviser in the Conservative Official Opposition Leader’s Office (OLO), to both former leader Erin O’Toole and interim leader Candice […]
Staff additions bring Emergency Preparedness Minister Blair’s team to 13
Queen’s Privy Council President and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair now has a total of 13 political staff on his roster, with his most recent addition being Cleopatra Masinga-Chibueze, who’s been hired as the minister’s executive assistant. Masinga-Chibueze started on the job earlier this month, after six months as a legislative assistant to Ontario Liberal […]
A dive into the new Conservative House leader and whip teams
The Conservative caucus got a new House leadership team upon MP Erin O’Toole’s ouster as party leader in February, with Ontario MP John Brassard taking over as House leader and Alberta MP Blaine Calkins as whip, and in turn, there’s been some staff movement in both offices. Phil Bolduc, who had been chief of staff […]
Policy director among new hires for Heritage Minister Rodriguez
Heritage Minister and Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez has some new faces in both of his ministerial offices, including Ron Ahluwalia, who’s been hired as his director of policy for heritage. As recently reported, Shane Mackenzie left Seniors Minister Kamal Khera’s office earlier this spring to become head of appointments in Rodriguez’s heritage office. Also (relatively) […]
Public Safety Minister Mendicino lands a new policy director
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has found a new policy head for his office, with lawyer Reem Zaia taking on the role of director of policy and legal affairs as of last month. Zaia took a leave of absence from Gowling WLG, where she’s been an associate lawyer in the firm’s Ottawa office since 2018, […]
Nadia Khaiati takes over as PMO appointments head
There’s a new head of public appointments in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, with Nadia Khaiati having taken on the role two weeks ago, replacing Hilary Leftick, who has left the top office. A former executive producer of the POP Montréal music festival, Leftick first joined the PMO in early 2016 as a youth affairs […]
New parl affairs lead for Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Miller
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller has a new director of parliamentary affairs and issues management in his office, following Vanessa Adams’ departure from the post, and the Hill, in April. Adams had been working for Miller since late 2019, starting as a senior communications adviser and press secretary during his turn as minister of Indigenous […]
Fresh hires for Wilkinson include new policy, regional advisers
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has added a few new staff to his ministerial team so far this spring, including Raphaël Beauchamp, who started on the job as a senior policy adviser during the first week of May. Beauchamp previously worked for Wilkinson during his time as environment minister; starting in January 2020 as a […]
