For the record, Stephen Harper's communications directors since he became prime minister in 2006:
- William Stairs – 2006 Fired two weeks after Harper took office. Believed to have counselled Harper to jump in and give David Emerson some political cover and Harper did not take kindly to that advice. Emerson ran as a Liberal in the 2006 election, won his riding, and but then quickly signed up to become a Conservative in Harper's cabinet. As Emerson was taking a pummelling for the switch, Stairs was trying to do communications damage control. He may also have been done in for being seen to be — gasp — on good personal terms with many members of the Parliamentary Press gallery. Later came back to PMO in charge of issues management but is now chief of staff to Bev Oda, the minister of international co-operation.
- Sandra Buckler – 2006-2008 A lobbyist before the 2006 campaign and appeared during that campaign as a “Conservative strategist” on various political talk shows. Impressed the Conservative war room in that role (even got a call once from Brian Mulroney for doing such a good job) and became Stairs' successor as communications director. Relations between the Parliament Press Gallery and the PMO hit their lowest point during her tenure. It was during her term that the famous “list” for asking questions was asking established. During one press conference held on Parliament Hill, journalists boycotted a Harper press conference rather than submit to the list protocol. Is alleged to have famously told one journalist on Parliament Hill in response to a question: “Off the record? No comment.” Resigned on June 26, 2008. After a time away from government, later returned to become a senior political staffer. Is now the chief of staff to intergovernmental affairs minister Peter Penashue.
- Kory Teneycke – 2008-2009 Also a lobbyist prior to joining the PMO, Teneycke had been most famous up to that point for inventing Corncob Bob as the mascot for the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association where he worked prior to succeeding Buckler. His title was slightly modified to be Director of Communication. Teneycke and Buckler shared the same communication objective, i.e. tight control of all MPs and ministers and a demonization of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, but where Buckler viewed the communications role as a shield, Teneycke viewed it as a sword. Relations improved somewhat between Hill journos and the PMO under Teneycke. He instituted occasional background briefings between journalists and his office. Teneycke saw Harper through the 2008 federal election before resigning on July 28, 2009. Teneycke later joined Quebecor Inc. with a mission to launch its new Sun News Network, where he is today as a company vice-president. (And, full disclosure, he is also the guy who hired me for the job I now hold.)
- John Williamson – 2009-2010 Williamson was a journalist and former colleague at the National Post and went from there to head the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He joined the PMO in the middle of the fall of 2009 but, after a relatively uneventful few months, resigned in the spring of 2010 in order to seek the Conservative nomination in the riding of New Brunswick-Southwest. He successfully won that nomination and, on May 2, became the MP for that riding, succeeding the retired Greg Thompson.
- Dimitri Soudas – 2010-2011 Soudas joined Harper's staff on Sept. 5, 2002 and, at this writing, is Harper's second longest serving aide. (Only Ray Novak, Harper's principal secretary, has been in Harper's inner circle longer). Soudas held a variety of communications roles within Harper's office eventually succeeding Williamson in early 2010 as director of communications. A fluently bilingual Montrealer, Soudas is widely seen as Harper's French-language crutch. Whenever Harper runs into trouble in French, he turns to Soudas. Soudas reviews any of Harper's French-language comments to make sure they are the right phrases. Soudas has also been Harper's top Quebec advisor for much his time with the prime minister and is credited with coming up with the “within a united Canada” amendment that neutered a BQ motion that would have the House of Commons recognize Quebec as a nation. Soudas also attempted to improve relations between the PMO and the Parliamentary Press Gallery with limited or uneven results. He announced he will depart his office on Sept. 5, 2011.
Update: PMO announces on Aug 31, 2011 that Angelo Perschilli will succeed Soudas.