What PC insiders really think about exec director's exit

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ABOVE THE FOLD

PCs are still buzzing about the sudden ouster of party executive director GARETH NEILSON, a move that even caught some caucus members off-guard.

To wit: Neilson had only landed the post this spring after a previous stint as director of organization that ended around the 2022 election. His second exit — at the behest of Premier DOUG FORD and “without cause” — has triggered speculation about internal tension over everything from budget cuts to convention prep.

But as a senior PC insider put it to me bluntly: “He came and went and then came back…it just didn’t work out. The job was above his skill set.”

And with the next campaign four years out (probably), the party “isn’t exactly looking” beyond MELANIE CALANDRA right now, who’s already taken the reins as ED.

As for chatter about a dip in memberships, some well-placed PCs say it’s par for the course and that even 5,000-plus fewer members (one of the numbers floating around out there) doe…