Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson announced some changes to her administrative staff Thursday, as part of an ongoing “refresh” of the provincial government as 2023 begins.
Former deputy minister of economic development, investment and trade Kathryn Gerrard will take on the role of clerk of the executive council, the premier said, replacing Donald Leitch.
Gerrard also previously served as deputy families minister.
Stefanson also announced the departure of chief of staff Philip Houde, and said more announcements will be forthcoming in an effort to deal with pressing issues facing Manitobans.
No replacement has been named for Houde, who was hired as the premier’s chief of staff in May.
Houde had served under previous Progressive Conservative premiers, including Stefanson’s predecessor, Brian Pallister.
Stefanson brought Houde back last spring, months after she took over as premier.
The premier’s office did not go into detail Thursday on the reasons for the change, other than to say it was part of a move to “refresh the Manitoba government’s administration and prepare it to better address the current priority concerns of Manitobans.”
Houde thanked Stefanson for his time in the job and said he continues to support the Tories. A written comment appeared to hint that his departure was not voluntary.
“We serve at the pleasure of the premier and while I came back to try and help us with the 2023 election, I’m at peace moving on,” Houde wrote in a message to The Canadian Press.
The changes come as Manitoba politicians prepare for an election this October.
One political analyst said the departures of Houde and Leitch seem to be a sign that Stefanson is trying to revive her party’s fortunes after trailing the Opposition New Democrats in opinion polls her entire time in office.
The Tories “haven’t moved the needle in terms of their polling or her popularity and so some of that she may blame on her advisers and not getting the kind of key advice she needed to improve the situation,” said Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba.
In recent media interviews, Stefanson has said the government needs to do a better job communicating and getting its messages out.
“Well, some of the advice around communications would have come from these two gentlemen,” Thomas said.
Leitch’s departure is not too surprising, Thomas said, because he first served in the position in the 1980s and likely agreed to come back for only a short period of time.
Houde’s leaving is more surprising, Thomas said.
“You would have thought that as (the Tories) try to put together a game plan to improve their prospects for the fall election, that it would be helpful to have him around.”
–With files from Steve Lambert at The Canadian Press
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