The Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's Office () is a senior role in the Canadian Prime Minister's Office. The person is responsible for selling the government's agenda to the media and public.
Duties The portfolio thus encompasses everything from speech writing, communications packages, coordinating announcements, creating media appearances for the Prime Minister, crafting communications responses, liaising with the media, coordinating with ministers' and Members of Parliament's offices, and responding to government controversies.
The position's grueling hours are close only to the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff and Director of Policy."A (sort of) day in the life of Stephen Harper's director of communications". CBC News, February 18, 2015.
Since 2006 only half of the directors have lasted more than one year, with the average in the position being just 395 days, or roughly 13 months. The longest serving director is Kate Purchase, who served as Justin Trudeau’s first communications director from October 2015 to December 2019. The shortest duration was just 32 days with William Stairs, who left shortly after Prime Minister Stephen Harper was elected with a minority government.
Previous Directors of Communications Name Prime Minister Dates Served Reason for Leaving Peter Donolo Jean Chrétien 1993–1999 Resigned Françoise Ducros 1999–2002 Resigned following controversy Jim Munson 2002–2003 Appointed to the Senate of Canada Mario Laguë Paul Martin 2003–2005 Appointed to a diplomatic position Scott Reid 2005–2006 Party defeated in 2006 election William J. Stairs Stephen Harper January – February 2006 Unknown Sandra Buckler February 2006 – June 27, 2008 Cancer treatment Kory Teneycke July 7, 2008 – July 28, 2009 Job with Sun News Network John Williamson August 2009 – March 2010 To run for Parliament Dimitri Soudas March 2010 – September 5, 2011 Hired by the Canadian Olympic Committee Angelo Persichilli October 2011 – April 2012 Job stress Andrew MacDougall April 2012 – September 2, 2013 Job in London, England Jason MacDonald September 12, 2013 – February 13, 2015"Jason MacDonald leaving Prime Minister's Office 7 months before election". CBC News, February 13, 2015 Unknown Rob Nicol February 14, 2015 – October 18, 2015 party defeated in 2015 election Kate Purchase Justin Trudeau October 2015 – December 2019Job with Microsoft Cameron Ahmad January 2020 – June 2023Unknown Vanessa Hage-Moussa June 2023 – March 2025 Resignation of Prime Minister Jane Deeks Mark Carney March 2025 – present
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