Marco Vigliotti is the editor-in-chief of iPolitics and QP Briefing. He reports on politics in Ottawa and Toronto, and has covered Parliament Hill for the better part of the past decade. He also worked for the Ottawa Citizen/Sun and The Hill Times.

Marco Vigliotti

Editor-in-Chief

Staffers do a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. They provide briefings, take care of office budgets, prepare messaging, handle scheduling and manage relationships, among other duties.

It’s clear that staffers play a huge role in ensuring the proper functioning of the legislature.

 surveyed people working in Ontario politics and related industries about who they believe are the most effective and influential government staffers at Queen's Park. All Ontario MPP offices and government ministries were invited to participate.

 subscribers were also invited to take part in the survey. Subscribers include government and public relations professionals, industry and not-for-profit organizations stakeholders, the Ontario Public Service, media personnel, and more.

Almost 280 people responded to the survey’s questions between May 1 and 15. Respondents stated they align with all political parties represented in the legislative assembly. Almost half said they have over five years of experience working in Ontario politics and related industries.

Here are Ontario’s most effective and influential government staffers according to 

Sackville’s inclusion at the top of this list isn’t terribly surprising. He holds one of the most influential un-elected positions in government as chief of staff to Premier Doug Ford. An insider says he’s a level-headed staffer who’s effective in an admittedly challenging role.

Sackville has been in the job for some six months but previously served as Ford’s principal secretary. He has been with Ford’s office since the PCs took office in 2018 save for a brief spell in 2021 when he joined Hydro One.

Prior to joining Ford’s office, he worked in government relations for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and before that, worked as a Queen’s Park staffer.

Deputy Chief of Staff, Issues Management, Media Relations & Legislative Affairs, Office of the Premier

Welton is also a key player in Ford’s office who insiders noted is an effective and well-liked staffer. They also noted Welton’s loyalty to the premier having been with Ford since the PCs took office following the 2018 election.

Welton has been a PC staffer since 2014, serving in the leaders’ office as a senior advisor between 2015 and 2018.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Media, Stakeholder Relations and Forward Planning

Yelich is well known in media circles, having served as the premier’s press secretary from 2018 to 2020. She was then promoted to director of media relations (and then executive director), before being named a deputy chief of staff in October 2022.

A PC insider praised Yelich as hard-working and noted that she’s stood by the premier for his entire tenure in office. Prior to joining Ford’s office, Yelich worked on Parliament Hill as a staffer and a radio and television news producer.

Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister of Finance

Another heavy hitter finishing high in the rankings, Clark is the top staffer to arguably the most important or influential minister in the government — the finance minister. It’s worth noting that Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy finished first in our rankings of most influential cabinet ministers.

Clark is another veteran of the Ford government, having joined as a staffer in 2018. He started as director of communications for the Solicitor General before joining the premier’s office as director of marketing. He moved to finance in 2020 and became chief of staff in August 2021.

Clark is no stranger to conservative politics. He ran for the federal Conservatives in a rural Nova Scotia riding in the 2015 election but fell victim to the Trudeau wave that saw the Liberals win every seat in the Atlantic provinces in that year’s vote. Prior to his run for office, Clark worked as Hill staffer.

Chief of Staff, Office of the President of the Treasury Board

Follow the money! Much like others on this list, Bendayan heads up the office of a minister who is crucial to the functioning of the government, especially when it comes to spending. In this case, Treasury Board President Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria. Of course, the Treasury Board is responsible for managing spending and labour relations with the Ontario Public Service, among other duties.

Bendayan is seen by insiders as a bridge builder that has helped keep the government’s plans on track. Even though the minister’s office is at the crossroads of billions in spending, insiders noted that there hasn’t really been any negative news stories about government mismanagement.

Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Workman has been with Labour Minister Monte McNaughton for years. He was the chief of staff for McNaughton when he was infrastructure minister and kept that title when he joined McNaughton at labour in the summer of 2019.

 survey for cabinet minsters, where he was praised for building bridges and manufacturing the Ford government’s successful wooing of skilled trades workers. Workman has won similar praise, with insiders touting him as hard-working, approachable and likeable.

Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister

The Office of the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs has been busy as of late. Since winning a new term last spring, the Ford government has outlined sweeping changes to municipal powers as part of a bid to get more housing built at a much faster pace.

Amato has had a perfect vantage point as the top staffer in Steve Clark’s office. Another Ford government veteran, Amato has worked in staffing jobs with the PCs since 2015. He joined Smith’s office in 2022 after spending over three years as the stakeholder relations director at the transportation minister’s office.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Communications, Office of the Premier

Kann has worked in the premier’s office since 2020 when he joined as the executive director of communications. He was promoted to a deputy chief of staff role in the spring of 2021. Prior to joining Ford’s office, Kann served as the communications director to Christine Elliot when she was deputy premier and health minister.

Executive Director of Stakeholder Relations, Office of the Premier

DiPaul joined the premier’s office earlier this year from citizenship and multiculturalism, where he was the chief of staff to Minister Michael Ford, the premier’s nephew. Prior to that role, he served as a senior staffer with the infrastructure and government and consumer services ministerial offices. He also served as a senior advisor in the premier’s office from 2018 to 2019.

Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister of Energy

Donovan has served as chief of staff to Energy Minister Todd Smith since 2021. He joined the minister’s office after a brief stint as a lobbyist. He previously served as chief of staff to ministers Sakaria and Rod Phillips.

Here are Ontario’s most influential government staffers according to 

QP Briefing Survey 2023: Most influential government staffers

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