Jason McLean,
Special Assistant (Tour), Office of the Prime Minister
Career Description
I am one of several advance team leaders for the Prime Minister’s
international and domestic visits. As political staff, we manage
a team of people (protocol, media, security, diplomatic staff, etc.)
that evaluates options for the Prime Minister and then I propose
a program. When he arrives, I lead him through it. I report to the
Director of Operations. My work is mostly on the road and has both
partisan and government elements.
Personal Satisfaction
This is not a career but a place to hide from one for a few years
and I absolutely love it. I get to travel all over the world preparing
the PM’s visits and the work is always changing. Each trip
is a new project and there are immediate and tangible results. I
really like and respect the Boss and it is a great privilege to
work for him during his late political career. The highlight of
my work (and I’m sorry to sound like a sycophant but I really
mean this) is the occasional opportunity I get to spend time talking
with him about politics, history, or more mundane subjects. I meet
many interesting people and my colleagues are competent and committed.
One day I’ll be leading negotiations with a host government
on the content of a visit and meeting with a CEO about a factory
visit, the next I’ll be holding the Prime Minister’s
coat outside a bilateral meeting room and trying to find a set of
stairs that fit an Airbus 310. Although we PMO gypsies are considered
junior staff, I have a considerable amount of latitude in preparing
visits and am getting lots of experience managing people. There
is nothing I would rather be doing right now. I’ve never felt
that way about school or work before.
Legal Background
Several days after my call to the bar, I received an unsolicited
phone call from the Director of Operations. The Special Assistant
for B.C. who knew me and my involvement with the Liberal Party had
put my name forward for a job I never knew existed. Knowing that
I could always return to a legal career, it was an offer I could
not refuse.
Benefits/Drawbacks
See the world. Never go hungry. Stay in nice hotels. Collect lots
of airline points. Possess red diplomatic passport that looks really
cool (you still searched). Get to wear radio earpiece so everybody
things you are a Kung Fu master. You’re a mile wide and an
inch deep. You get to know people for a short time and barely scratch
the surface of the place you are visiting. The rootless nomadic
lifestyle and endless traveling is tough on relationships and your
health if you get careless. I was outside of Canada for more than
half of 2001. Your mistakes can be very public and therefore price
of failure is extremely high. That nature of the work is very stimulating
and I’m told it can be a difficult transition to normal life
afterwards. You represent a high profile office and the scrutiny
can b a bit much. I have been in the newspaper for such dramatic
and controversial incidents as going out to a bar in Los Angeles,
asking a reporter to please stop asking questions during a photo-op,
and organizing a luncheon for the Premiers’ spouses in China.
Salary is negotiable but don’t expect much past second year
associate equivalent in a major law firm. Nobody goes into government
for the money.
Career Requirements
I worked a couple of summers in federal ministers’ offices
and the legal training was a nice background to have but none of
this was essential. Far more relevant was my involvement with the
Liberal Party (Young Liberal President -– UBC, policy agitator,
and filler of empty rooms for political events). My dad has been
a party hack for many years and got me involved as a Chretien youth
delegate during the 1009 leadership convention. This was helpful.
Law School Training and Other Requirements
Get involved as a volunteer in the Liberal Party (or whichever
party compels you) and political campaigns first. Work on your French
(mine is terrible and I don’t have time to improve it). If
you can’t get excited about politics, and can’t see
the importance of it, give this line of work a pass. You need to
be a partisan to derive satisfaction from the work. Our office does
not hire summer students as political staff so you may wish to explore
opportunities in ministers’ offices. Don’t put off your
articling to get political jobs and never confuse them with a career.
When the PM hangs up his spurs, whether replaced by a Liberal or
not, I am out of a job. This is as it should be.
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