Poilievre's Parliament Hill inner circle takes shape

After a struggle to find an experienced staffer willing to toil away for what could be years on the opposition benches, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has settled on Ian Todd as his new chief of staff, according to sources familiar with the appointment.

Todd has experience in the role. He was chief of staff to former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day, but he quit in 2001 in the midst of a broader push for Day's ouster.

He was also a devotee of Preston Manning, spending eight years with the Reform Party leader as executive assistant.

Todd was in the public eye more recently after being appointed Ontario's trade representative to the United States in 2018. The Toronto Star first reported that Todd was being paid $348,000 for the posting — with opposition critics noting it was more than Canada's ambassador to the U.S. was earning.

Todd's three decades of experience in politics include an emphasis on campaign tour logistics and events management.

CBC News is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to discuss the appointment publicly. A spokesperson for Poilievre said he would not comment on staffing matters.

CBC News reached out to Todd for comment on his new role but has not yet received a response.

Staff search has been challenging

It's widely known in Conservative circles that it has been a struggle to fill key roles in Poilievre's office.

During the leadership campaign, Poilievre was surrounded by an inner circle that included political adviser Jenni Byrne, former cabinet minister John Baird and Sen. Leo Housakos.

But several sources have told CBC News that attempts to build a new team of staff to work with him on Parliament Hill have proved challenging.

While there's great enthusiasm among many Conservatives for Poilievre's win, some high-profile candidates for chief of staff have been reluctant to be lured away from lucrative careers to slug it out for what could be years on the opposition benches. The Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement means the next election could be put off until 2025.

There is also the added disincentive of lobby restrictions after working on Parliament Hill, which limit what staff can do after life in politics.

Poilievre has also hired David Murray as policy director, a move previously reported by Politico. Murray was director of policy during Poilievre's leadership bid.