Staff shakeups, loose scrums, and bursting the Premier's bubble

PO plays musical chairs

ABOVE THE FOLD

First in Observer — MORE CHURN IN FORD’S INNER CIRCLE — Another quiet-but-telling exit from DOUG FORD’s inner circle: MATTHEW GRAINGER is out.

Grainger, who’s been in the Premier’s Office since 2023, was promoted to director of issues management just a few months ago, and also logged time in the PC campaign war room last winter. Before that, he worked for the federal Tories on the Hill and in the campaign trenches.

He’s now landed at crisis-comms heavyweight Navigator as a consultant, a familiar landing spot for Queen’s Park veterans.

It’s the latest move in a string of behind-the-scenes reshuffling. As first reported in this newsletter, Ford recently poached COLIN BLACHAR from Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY’s office (replaced by SARAH CHAPIN, ex-PC staffer and consultant, who’s now working StratComms and issues at Finance), while HARRY GODFREY was elevated to principal speechwriter. Even more moves. And then some.

One shift that is noticeable: Ford’s scrums. Since losing IV…