Jason Kenney, the new minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, now has a significantly expanded staff. He has also made some key changes at the top.
Mr. Kenney’s interim chief of staff is Darrel Reid. His former chief of staff Tenzin Khangsar has been reassigned to the newly-created position of director of multiculturalism, a move viewed by some as a demotion.
Alykhan Velshi, who spent the election campaign in the Conservative war room doing rapid response, has returned to become Mr. Kenney’s director of communications and parliamentary affairs, a position he held during the last session before a brief stint in John Baird’s ministerial office.
Mr. Kenney said there is no great mystery to ministerial staffing.
He said ministers typically search for people with skills that suit the needs of their portfolios. In his case, Mr. Kenney said, he looks to hire an ethnically diverse staff with language skills beyond English and French.
“[Ministers] look for good people who are an obvious fit in their office,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any huge master plan.”
Mr. Kenney added that his staff has expanded, as ministers receive a larger budget to hire additional staff when appointed to senior cabinet positions.
There is a tendency, when a minister is reassigned, that he or she will keep with them their most central staff. These positions are chief of staff, director of communications and director of parliamentary affairs.
Other staff, often policy advisers, are picked up for their knowledge on the particular portfolio.
“There’s a core that goes with the minister regardless of portfolio,” said the Conservative insider. “And then there are others that are added on as is necessary in specialist areas.”
In many cases, specialist staff will remain in their roles even as ministers are shuffled about.
Source:
http://www.embassymag.ca/page/view/staffers_settle-11-19-2008
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