GiornoWatch Extra: O, brave new world … (Part One)

As pointed out by Anon in one of yesterday’s liveblogging threads, the GEDS online directory has been updated with the almost-very-latest details of the new Giornoganizational structure at PMO.

Like a true obsessive, ITQ has spent the last few hours going over every detail — comparing new staff lists to archived versions, cross-referencing names, checking for new titles and generally trying to figure out what it all means – which, as it turns out, is taking considerably longer than expected. After the jump, then: the story so far. (Part two should be up sometime this afternoon.)

Prime Minister’s Office

• Harper, Stephen; Prime Minister; (613) 992-4211

• Giorno, Guy; Chief of Staff; (613) 992-4211
• Novak, Raymond; Principal Secretary; (613) 992-4211
• Muttart, Patrick; Deputy Chief of Staff; (613) 957-5580
• Hunt, Jeremy; Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister; (613) 957-5529

Well, this is odd: Jeremy Hunt, seems to have inherited the title formerly held by Ray Novak – since elevated to Principal Secretary, but more on that later. Considering his last job was doing media advance at Tour, it’s hard not to see that as a major promotion, but we’ll hold off on the congratulatory email for the moment, as his name still shows up under Tour.

Stacey Gairdner will become the Jenni Byrne to Guy Giorno’s Ian Brodie over at the Office of the Chief of Staff; no word on who will take over her previous gig as executive assistant to the Prime Ministerial Spouse, Laureen Harper.

Ray Novak’s special assistant Katie Beasley follows her boss to the newly created Office of the Principal Secretary. Also transferred to the OPS: Official photographer Jason Ransom and his special assistant (and wife) Deborah Ransom, now simply listed as a generic special assistant.

Bruce Carson has also been bumped up – from legislative assistant to Senior Advisor, a title that doesn’t just come with capital letters, but its very own office for Carson and his assistant Renze Nauta.

Speaking of special assistants, Stephanie Rea takes her QP street smarts to Issues Management, which really isn’t so much a move as an administrative correction: she has always operated under the IMbrella, but for some reason was listed as general PMO office staff until now.

Finally, scheduling assistants Christina Chu and Jolan Nisbet now operate out of the renamed – and expanded -  Tour and Scheduling.

Office of the Chief of Staff

As noted earlier, Stacey Gairdner steps into the Jenni Byrne role – at least, that’s what it looks like to ITQ, although really, executive assistant is a sufficiently vague title that it could mean anything from ordering pencils to ordering around everyone in the office. (Well, nearly everyone.)

Ian Vaculik, meanwhile, has taken his Brodie-honed senior advisory skills to Personnel, Administration and Appointments, which leaves David Gentili as the last remaining holdover from the Brodie era, and as such, the keeper of the flame. Okay, co-keeper — it’s not like Jenni Byrne has left the building, and as long as she’s somewhere in Langevin, his memory will live on.

Finally, and perhaps most curiously, Daniel Joseph no longer appears in the directory – not as a special assistant to the Chief of Staff, and not as anything else, according to (admittedly fallible) GEDS. Joseph, as GiornoWatchers will recall, was in on the original G-Day landing party; along with Rob Elliott, he was one of the first former Queen’s Park keeners to be brought in from outside. His Facebook page was full of heartfelt congratulations on his new job; it’s now two weeks later, and he’s gone. Or at least, no longer listed – it could be a database error, and let’s hope that’s the case for his sake; otherwise, he may go down in the political record books as one of the shortest-serving PMO staffers ever.

Communication

First off, Communications has become Communication – no S – which ITQ has been assured is not a typo but a deliberate change – a rebranding, if you will, although good luck explaining that to the person who has to order the letterhead, not to mention all those updated business cards.

Anyway, it apparently has something to do with the moderately ballyhooed new era of PMO/media relations — Short Version: Hey media! Guess what? We don’t hate you anymore! No, really. Really! — but it’s not clear exactly what the absence of the S is supposed to signify.

Perhaps it was the de-essification that led to the Great Deputy Director Purge of Aught Eight. At the time of her departure, Sandra Buckler had no fewer than three deputies; a week after the Teneckeover, not a single one remains.   Christina Cszversko and Marc-Andre Plouffe managed to make it onto the shores of Greater Muttartania, otherwise known as Strategy, but Genevieve Desjardins was distinctly less fortunate: she was reportedly fired while on vacation.

As for the press secretaries, Carolyn Stewart-Olsen still reigns supreme, and Dimitri Soudas got to retain his deputy title, at least — possibly because he was the only one, and thus could hide amongst the throng of deputy directors — and picked up a new one, even: senior advisor (Quebec).

Meanwhile, Buckler-era administrative assistant Amelie Goudreault left for Ray Novak’s office, but Pamela Stephens, who was formerly someone’s – probably Buckler, come to think of it – executive assistant seems to have left government altogether.

And now, the freshmen class of July 2008: Jean-Philippe Payment, Mike White and Alayne Joy Crawford have joined Team Teneycke as media officers/assistants.  David Tarrant is now listed as a senior advisor, and Laura Rogers has been brought on board as an executive assistant.

UPDATE: Hey, you know what would’ve been a smart thing to do before posting this entry? Check the latest staff list for the Conservative Research Group on the off chance that it hasn’t yet been updated to reflect the post-Teneycke office.  Better late than never, right?

Anyway, it turns out that Jean-Philippe Payment, David Tarrant and Laura Rogers are all graduates of the CRG School of Sending Cryptic “Fact Check” Faxes, Paying Half of Ryan Sparrow’s Salary and Unspecified Other Duties That Nobody Seems To Be Able To Name Off The Top Of Their Heads.

On the next episode of GiornoWatch: Uh, everything else. As fast as I can get it done, I promise. In the meantime, comment away!

UPDATE: Part two is now up.