Does Trudeau’s top aide have an exit strategy?

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It’s hard to picture Justin Trudeau without Katie Telford or Katie Telford without Justin Trudeau.

They are known to communicate through eye contact only, and trust each other implicitly. “They’re both introverted, and very cautious when it comes to letting people in. And I think they bring each other together that way,” said one former employee. “And so they formed a very close working relationship.”

Telford, 44, has worked with Trudeau since he sought the Liberal leadership 10 years ago, when the party slipped to third place in the Canadian parliament after a disappointing run of leaders.

In a formidable partnership with Gerald Potts, a former environmental activist and close friend of Trudeau who later served as his chief secretary, she masterminded the 2015 election campaign that brought the Liberals back from obscurity to defeat Stephen Harper’s Conservatives and form a majority government.

Until Potts resigned in 2019 amidst an end scandal allegations of political interference In the justice system, he and Telford were Trudeau’s closest advisers. Their names were mentioned at the same time quite often, and all major decisions were made through them.

Since then, Telford alone has held the top spot in PMO. She recommends Trudeau on just about everything and keeps him in touch, say those who have worked with her. She makes sure he has time for a jog or a boxing workout when he’s on the road, and reminds him of upcoming birthdays.

And she is always there. a Latest viral video The one that shows Chinese President Xi Jinping facing off against Trudeau at the G-20 leaders summit shows a sober Telford waiting in the background.

She’s also a skilled negotiator, according to Ann McGrath, national director of the left-wing New Democratic Party. Last year, the Liberals and the National Party struck a deal guaranteeing the National Party’s support for a minority Liberal government in exchange for progress on some of the party’s top priorities.

It was pragmatic but stern, said McGrath, who worked closely with Telford as the agreement took shape. McGrath said Telford knew the NDP would need to profit big from the deal, and that a new dental care program for low-income Canadians could be the ticket. “I knew that was practical, doable, and ambitious.”

However, Trudeau has long been criticized for concentrating too much power in the PMO — in practice, since Potts’ departure, this has meant that all kinds of decisions require Telford’s approval. “There have been times where it just slows things down,” said a former official. “no escape.”

Efforts were made to ease the burden on Telford’s shoulders. After the 2021 elections, for example, I appointed two deputies. But some former colleagues say that as senior officials leave PMO, Telford’s inner circle has shrunk, leaving a less diverse group of voices to influence at pivotal moments.

Inevitably, the office has become more isolated, said a former PMO employee. “We all say we need to get out of this Ottawa bubble. We need to go talk to real human beings. But it’s impossible to do when you’re in that department.”

There are only a cadre of counsel whom Telford can really trust, some say, and many of them, like her, have walked out of the halls of the Ontario Provincial Legislature. “If you’re not one of those, you basically don’t get into that circle,” said a former Liberal official.

Two former officials have pointed to French-speaking Quebec, the country’s second-largest province and a key electoral battleground for the Liberals, as a stumbling block for Telford and several of her top aides who hail from Ontario. An obvious example, someone said, was Trudeau’s recent appointment of a special representative to combat Islamophobia, Amira El Gawabi. previous comments She has indicated that the majority of Quebecers have been affected by anti-Muslim sentiment. “There was clearly a lack of understanding of the impact this would have on Quebec,” said the former employee.

Others say valued advisers have left and been replaced by young aides with little experience outside government. “The partisan liberals have been loyal and devoted to Katie,” said another former employee. “What the prime minister needs is a fresh set of ideas and thinking.”