The Ontario Legislature Internship Program has churned out a prime minister’s chief of staff, two premiers’ chiefs of staff, a national party leader, a federal cabinet minister as well as deputy ministers, diplomats, journalists, lawyers, and academics.
When Doug Ford and Dalton McGuinty sought new chiefs of staff in their second terms as premier, they looked beyond the predictable partisanDespite disparate political stripes and governing styles, each premier opted for alumni of a fiercely non-partisan program that has trained some of the most accomplished people in Canadian public life since 1975.
“It really helps you understand how governments govern,” Sackville said in an interview, noting he and Morley have become good friends through the OLIP alumni network. Sackville expressed gratitude for what he learned interning for Tory MPP Tim Hudak, who had just resigned as PC leader after a disappointing 2014 election, and Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon.
“For me, as a journalist, having the experience of working for both sides was invaluable. I would be a totally different journalist not having had that,” said Pasieka, who interned for New Democrat MPP France Gélinas and Tory MPP Doug Downey just before Ford promoted him to attorney general. Even though he was a full-fledged Tory after leaving OLIP, he “had many conversations with Chris Morley about what role I should play if we formed government.”
“Really, it’s kind of a gateway to a bigger world,” said the Harvard-educated academic, adding that when he spots “OLIP” on a job applicant’s CV, it resonates with him. That experience led to job offers from both parties, but McGuinty’s future chief of staff said he felt more “ideological comfort” with the Grits.
Tim Murphy , who was chief of staff to Liberal prime minister Paul Martin from 2003 to 2006, said the program “has the benefit of stripping away some of the cynicism” about politics. Peter Constantinou, the York University professor who has served as OLIP’s academic director for the past seven years, said “the alumni pay it forward” by giving their time to current interns.That continuity of engagement ensures the integrity of the program, he said.
“They are engaged in conversation and informal assessments are made and shared with the panel. Sometimes these are valuable — for example, if a candidate asks really good questions or if a candidate treats the program manager poorly but then alters behaviour when meeting the interview panel,” he said in an email.
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