Inside Politics

UPDATED - PMODCommWatch: But he just got here!

by Kady O'Malley Posted: March 31, 2010 9:39 AM Last Updated: March 31, 2010 12:41 PM
As reported by the Telegraph Journal -- and confirmed by CBC --  PMO communications director John Williamson is moving on after just eight months on the job. He's heading back to his home province of New Brunswick to run for the nomination in the soon-to-be-vacated seat currently held by longtime Conservative MP Greg Thompson, who announced that he would be retiring from politics earlier this year. 

So, who will be moving into Williamson's office in Langevin? We don't know yet, but we're trying to find out -- in the meantime, feel free to speculate wildly in the comments!

UPDATE: As far as the Hill berryvine goes, the early favourite to fill Williamson's shoes seems to be Dimitri Soudas, currently the associate communications director, and one of the very few PMO staffers who can claim to have been there since the PM took power in 2006. 

A few other possibilities, in no particular order: Current PMO staffers Andrew MacDougall or William Stairs, deputy press secretary and director of issues management, respectively. Another potential candidate for internal promotion would be Dan Robertson, who joined the PM's office last year as director of government communications, and former Conservative Resource Group director Jason Lietaer, who always seems to end up on the rumoured short list, which, of course, may bear no resemblance at all to the actual short list. Come to think of it, current CRG director Garry Keller was no slouch at pressing the flesh with the press during his past stints in media relations. 

Tags: blackberry jungle, john williamson, pmodcommwatch