Carney Names Ex-Justice Minister Lametti Principal Secretary in PMO Overhaul

Prime Minister Mark Carney has tapped former justice minister David Lametti as his principal secretary, effective Monday. The appointment places Lametti, a long-time Liberal MP and cabinet member, at the centre of day-to-day political strategy in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Carney is simultaneously rounding out his senior staff. Angad Singh Dhillon, who previously served as chief of staff to former small-business minister Rechie Valdez, has been named operations lead. Andrée-Lyne Hallé, after more than two years with French transport manufacturer Alstom, will return to the PMO for a third stint in an advisory role. The moves follow Carney’s earlier hiring of former UN ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard as chief of staff. Together with Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia—who this week urged federal departments to simplify procedures—the new line-up gives Carney an inner circle heavy on cabinet, diplomatic and public-service experience as his government begins to set legislative priorities.