There's another shuffle coming to the senior ranks of cabinet minister's political staff.

A team of insiders from the Prime Minister's Office, along with Chris Froggatt, Transport Minister John Baird's chief of staff, is doing an internal review of the government's top political aides.

Chris Hall

The stated goal is to find candidates to fill four vacancies. But the review is also intended to head off any repeat of the embarrassing series of gaffes — lost documents and forgotten tape recordings — that undermined Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.

In a nutshell, the PMO wants to strengthen the ranks of its chiefs of staff, the folks who are the main connection between the ministers' offices and the bureaucracy.

Chiefs of staff are also responsible for overseeing the work of other political aides, including the directors of communication.

Proponents of the review say the government needs to give greater political support to those cabinet ministers who may need it as the government heads into a critical fall session.

Opponents fear the PMO intends to unilaterally shuffle the ranks, favouring some at the expense of others.

In the meantimes, senior ministerial staff are being told to put their vacations on hold, which many are doing, sticking close to Ottawa to see if the summons comes.

— Chris Hall