:format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/politics/provincial/2022/12/23/doug-fords-chief-of-staff-is-leaving/jamie_wallace.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,0&ssl=1 "Doug Ford’s chief of staff leaves")
Prime Minister Doug Ford’s chief of staff moves on.
Jamie Wallace, the prime minister’s top aide since 2019, is leaving to head Supply Ontario, the province’s procurement agency.
What first reported by the starWallace will be succeeded by Patrick Sackville, the prime minister’s principal secretary.
“There are no words to express my gratitude to Jamie for his many years of advice, leadership and most of all, friendship,” Ford said in a statement Friday.
“He leaves behind an incredible legacy that he should be extremely proud of, including helping guide Ontario through the COVID-19 pandemic. I am delighted that he will lead Supply Ontario next as he will bring to life the important mission of this agency,” said the Prime Minister.
Ford stressed that there would be continuity when Wallace passes the baton to Sackville.
“Since the first day of our government, Patrick has been a constant source of support and leadership, as he has successfully handled some of the most pressing and challenging files,” he said.
“Patrick has my complete confidence and will do great things as the new boss. There is no better person to take on this role as our government continues to build Ontario.”
Like Wallace, Sackville, who has a master’s degree in political science from Western University, is not seen as a particularly partisan progressive conservative.
Alumnus of Ontario’s prestigious Legislative Internship Program, like Chris Morley, chief of staff to former Liberal Prime Minister Dalton McGuinty, he is considered a calm and methodical operative with a background in infrastructure and energy policy.
His colleagues have praised him for his understated style and dedication to staff development.
“Pat Sackville is universally respected, beloved and one of Ontario’s brightest minds,” said Laryssa Waler, former Ford communications director.
“He is also an excellent manager and trainer of the staff,” Waler said on social media.
Wallace, a former top executive at the Toronto Sun and former president of Queen’s Park Press Gallery, has been credited with professionalizing Ford’s office after a difficult first year in the role.
“It has been a humbling experience and a privilege to serve Prime Minister Ford, his government and the people of Ontario for the past four years,” he said.
“I am enormously grateful for the partnership we have built with (Cabinet Secretary) Michelle DiEmanuele and our incredible public service.”
When Wallace took office in the summer of 2019, after the prime minister parted ways with the mercurial Dean French following the “French connections” cronyism scandal, he brought order to a chaotic operation that had suffered an exodus of key personnel.
Working closely with Ford and the public service during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020, he was instrumental in getting the Tories re-elected on June 2.
Wallace, who succeeds interim CEO Martha Greenberg, addresses an agency that Ford established to modernize public procurement in the wake of supply shortages of personal protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.
Supply Ontario’s mandate is to better coordinate the billions of dollars in public spending on materials and harness the purchasing power of government.
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