Former United Nations ambassador Marc-André Blanchard will step into the role of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s chief of staff, assuming one of the most powerful positions in Ottawa.
Carney had not named someone to the position since being sworn-in as prime minister on March 14. Former Liberal MP and public safety minister Marco Mendicino has been filling the role in the interim.
Blanchard will begin his new role in July, Carney said in a June 1 social media post, calling him “one of Canada’s most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats.”
Duties of the chief of staff include overseeing the office of the highest seat of power in the country, controlling access to the prime minister, and handling various issues and determining which matters the prime minister should address, as well as acting as a liaison to cabinet ministers….