On his first day on the job, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s new chief of staff, Peter Donolo, got off to a strong start with the appointment of a new senior country-wide team to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (OLO).
Unlike the mismanaged, and frankly sad departure of Ian Davey, the announcement was clear and disciplined, asserting the wealth of experience of the new team members and their different regional and linguistic backgrounds. Mr. Donolo also outlines clear reporting structures, seems to have better defined roles and has even found a way to balance the numbers between former Martin and Chretien supporters (two to two, if we’re counting) – something some Ottawa political reporters don’t yet seem willing to drop.
What is perhaps most interesting is the Quebec and Ontario talent Peter Donolo has convinced to come to Ottawa, bucking the trend of Liberals leaving the national capital for more sunny pastures in Canada’s two largest provinces. Apart from Mr. Donolo himself, two of the three most senior OLO posts (Principal Secretary Jean Marc Fournier and Director of Communications Mario Laguë), have gone to seasoned Quebec Liberals heavily tied to Premier Jean Charest. Meanwhile, Patricia Sorbara, who is effectively Mr. Donolo’s first officer, and Jim Pimblett, Mr. Ignatieff’s executive assistant, have strong roots with the Ontario Liberals (having served David Peterson and Dalton McGuinty respectively). These provincial connections will bode well for a team that has been criticized for not understanding Quebec or not being well-coordinated with Queen’s Park on matters such as the proposed HST. Both matter considerably if OLO intends to restore traction after recent slips in the polls in these provinces.
While detractors point to a lack of representation west of Ontario and east of Quebec, bookends Brian Bohunicky from Winnipeg (who also has extensive experience in BC), and Heather Chiasson from Nova Scotia, round out the sea-to-sea component.
Of course, time will only tell whether the return to a “big tent” approach will extend beyond Ottawa and include the likes of Denis Coderre or other big Liberal names who have distanced themselves recently. But for a first day’s work (and, no question, the days will get longer and more trying), Mr. Donolo, the former master of perception, has certainly brought some of his old communications skills to his new job and presented a wise and representative team that, if nothing else, looks promising.
