Column: “The Ottawa Notebook”, The Chronicle-Herald (Halifax), October 26, 2002. By: Brian Underhill

Aspiring political buffs might be interested to find out that one way to get on the fast track to the nation’s capital is through the Dalhousie law school.

We’ve already noted that Chris McInnis [sic] (who graduated with his law degree this spring) has joined Industry Allan Rock’s office as the senior policy adviser for Atlantic Canada.

At least two other former classmates have also joined Chris in recent weeks.

[Leigh Lampert] has used the high-profile law school to land a spot on Defence Minister John McCallum’s staff. [Leigh] is also an Atlantic policy adviser.

And the latest Dal grad to land a top-drawer post is Chris Quigley. The Newfoundland native, who was the former president of the campus Liberal association, recently joined the deputy prime minister’s staff as (you guessed it) his Atlantic policy adviser.

Neither Chris is a newcomer to the Hill. McInnis [sic] got his feet wet as an assistant to the legendary Alan J. MacEachen, and the word is he’s still planning to return to the province as a candidate in next year’s provincial election.

We’re told Quigley also knows his way around the Hill, having been a former page and a part-time speech writer for Newfoundland Senator George Furey.

The opening for an Atlantic policy adviser in Manley’s office was created when Sanjeev Chowdhury took on a newly created role with the deputy prime minister.

Sanjeev is now the director of operations in the deputy prime minister’s office. His new duties include responsibility for all domestic and international travel for Canada’s top cabinet minister (outside the prime minister, of course).

The post was set up to mirror the director of operations role in the prime minister’s office, although David Miller has a bigger role and a bigger staff.

Sanjeev will likely spend a lot of time on the road, something he is already used to, and will get his share of international travel because his boss is also the finance minister and will be attending G-7 and APEC finance ministers’ meetings.

Ironically, the Halifax native started in the new job a few weeks ago and one of the first trips he organized was Manley’s upcoming junket to Nova Scotia’s capital city. We’re sure this is just coincidence.