To some, they are derisively called “click clacks” for the sound of their heels as they strut across the marble floors of the Parliament Buildings, always a pace or two behind their ministers. BlackBerries in hand, they are rarely without files balanced on their hips or briefcases slung from their shoulders.
On television, they can be seen in the background of media scrums, holding digital audio recorders to capture their bosses’ words. As in governments before them, the visible face of ministerial staff under the Conservatives is overwhelmingly youthful.
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The “Millennial” generation serves as press secretaries and communication directors. Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney’s director of communications, Alykhan Velshi, is 25. Ryan Sparrow, the Conservative Party’s chief spokesman, is 27. Mike White, a media officer in the Prime Minister’s Office, is 29. Dozens of others who play important roles in ministerial offices are in their 20s or early 30s.
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While ministerial staffers may seem young, Buckler says they often have experience beyond their years. Many of the youngsters who get hired have been active in party politics. Some have volunteered on election campaigns or run party chapters on university campuses. Others come with impressive academic credentials. Kenney’s aide, Velshi, for instance, accumulated a law degree from the London School of Economics and gigs with U.S. conservative think-tanks before arriving on the Hill.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/Kids+Hill/1716210/story.html
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