Amid Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s declarations that he is leading the Liberals into the next election, his office has announced that a prominent media commentator is joining his team as a senior adviser.
Supriya Dwivedi is added to the Prime Minister’s Office several weeks after Trudeau’s team also brought in a new executive director of communications.
Trudeau’s office confirmed Dwivedi will start her new job on Jan.15, and a staffing memo provided by spokesperson Ann-Clara Vaillancourt said Dwivedi will put professional experiences, including a science and legal background, to work for the PMO.
The former radio talk-show host has appeared on CBC’s Power & Politics, on CTV, and written for publications including The Globe and Mail, The Washington Post and Toronto Star.
Most recently Dwivedi worked for McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy as director of policy and engagement. Dwivedi also has degrees in civil law and common law from the University of Montreal.
She wrote in a Toronto Star column today that she has held memberships in both the Conservatives and Liberals, and is not an overly partisan person but is concerned about the current “toxic hyperpartisanship” in Ottawa.
She said she has, professionally, had the opportunity to speak to Trudeau. “He asks smart questions, listens attentively and affords complex issues with the nuance it deserves,” she wrote.
In November, Trudeau’s office announced that it was bringing in Max Valiquette as an executive communications director for the PMO. Valiquette came to that assignment with years of experience in working for various brands, advertising and marketing.
Trudeau has been prime minister since 2015, and led the Liberals to a minority government in 2021. However, public-opinion research has indicated that support has shifted to the federal Conservatives under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre. The next federal election is not expected until 2025.
