PMO press officer Mike White promoted

A few years of hard work in the PMO press office have paid off for Stellarton, N.S., native Mike White, who recently received a promotion. Formerly a media officer, Mr. White is now the deputy press secretary for media affairs in the PMO and joins fellow deputy press secretaries Andrew MacDougall and Karine Leroux. Mr. White was not available for comment. Last week, word has it, he was on a—perhaps celebratory—trip in the West Indies. The PMO has a rather formidable press department boasting some 24 staff and headed up by director of communications John Williamson and associate communications director Dimitri Soudas. Hill Climbers called the PMO for a quote about why Mr. White was promoted, but received a curt "We don't ever comment on our staffing, even if its good news" from Mr. MacDougall. Despite the unfortunate lack of benign openness, congrats. Over the holiday season, a number of ministerial communications staffers took their leave. Genius leaves Ambrose's office Labour Minister Rona Ambrose's communications adviser Garnett Genius has departed. For the time being, staff say, Ms. Ambrose's director of Parliamentary affairs and issues management Roseline MacAngus is handling media files. Baird's office looking for replacement for Day Similar things are happening over at Transport Minister John Baird's office, which recently lost press secretary Chris Day. A former CTV Ottawa television reporter, Mr. Day was hired along with journalists Derek Puddicombe and Patrick Dare to staff the City of Ottawa's corporate communications office. Mr. Baird's chief of staff Chris Froggatt said that until a new press secretary is found, issues management director James Kusie is on "double duty," handling issues and press. Minister Baird also has a new executive assistant. Previous assistant Oren Cainer, who has moved over to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's office to take a policy position, was replaced by Rick Ross. NDP's Salloum returns to Hill A political junkie since immigrating to Canada at age 14, Anthony Salloum couldn't keep himself away from Ottawa on Canada's 125th birthday celebration in 1992. Though the crowd—which reached nearly one million that day—prevented him from getting inside the Parliament buildings, he knew that was where he wanted to be. Now, some 18 years later, the veteran NDP staffer is back on the Hill after a three-year break from politics, which he spent at the Rideau Institute. Mr. Salloum immigrated to Halifax from Lebanon during the throes of that country's civil war. He recalls compulsively watching political conventions featuring John Turner and Joe Clark on TV as a teen, much to the chagrin of his family, and has been hooked on Canadian politics ever since. Mr. Salloum got involved in politics in 1997, when former NDP leader Alexa McDonough hired him as her very first staffer as a federal MP. During that year's campaign, Ms. McDonough won the NDP's first seat on mainland Nova Scotia. He fondly remembers searching for and setting up her first federal constituency office, which Ms. McDonough shared with her successor, provincial NDP MLA Eileen O'Connell. Before long, Mr. Salloum was working at the NDP leader's office on the Hill, focusing on committees, particularly Foreign Affairs. In 2007, activist Stephen Staples asked Mr. Salloum to join with him in launching the Rideau Institute, a left-leaning think tank and advocacy shop on Sparks St. Recent economic foibles have put a real "financial squeeze on non-profits," Mr. Salloum said, and though the Rideau Institute did some government relations work to make ends meet, he decided it was time to move on in December. And didn't take long to get back on the Hill. Mr. Salloum said he was talking to an MP friend of his last month, and within five days was hired on as a legislative assistant to NDP MP Claude Gravelle. Mr. Gravelle hails from the northern Ontario riding of Nickel Belt. Centered around Sudbury, the riding is facing tough times as the mining industry struggles with the recession, and workers at the Vale Inco mine enter a seventh month on strike. As cheesy as it sounds, Mr. Salloum said, "for me, the real reason to be here is making a difference, whether it be helping the MP deliver on their promises to their constituents, or working across party lines to move issues forward," though he admits this will likely be harder in the Hill's current hyper-partisan atmosphere. Hill Climbers, come on down As many Hill Times readers surely know, Hill Climbers has long been one of the most well-read and closely-watched elements of this paper. Except for a short hiatus in recent months, it has for years tracked the staffers that serve Canada's top political power players. Hill Climbers is about people and personalities, and I will try to shine a light on those determined staffers who labour endlessly behind the scenes and who don't usually capture any of the credit. In addition to tracking hirings, firings, promotions and departures within all federal parties, I will delve into what makes staffers tick, and what motivations, values and personal politics drive them to enter political life. I think this is a terribly important task, particularly because unelected political staffers are gaining is increasing influence over national policy as Canada's democratic institutions atrophy in the face of growing executive power. Thusly, if you have a Hill Climbers news tip about yourself or another, please don't hesitate to call or email. jdavis@hilltimes.ca The Hill Times

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PMO press officer Mike White promoted

Garnett Genius leaves Labour Minister Rona Ambrose's office.

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