Champagne taps Jean-Philippe Arseneau as new chief of staff

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has tapped a veteran of Parliament Hill to take over as his chief of staff.

Jean-Philippe Arseneau is returning to Ottawa after eight years in the private sector and will start in the senior role on Wednesday, Mr. Champagne’s press secretary John Fragos said in a statement.

Mr. Arseneau, who has been working as a consultant in London for the past few years, is well-known in Ottawa, having previously served as chief of staff to the late Marc Garneau when he was transport minister.

He is replacing Mr. Champagne’s long-time chief of staff Ian Foucher, who signalled he would leave his post in the spring. Mr. Foucher has held senior positions within the Liberal government for more than a decade and was also Mr. Champagne’s top aide during his previous posting at industry. He followed the Minister to the finance department last year.

Prior to working for Mr. Champagne, Mr. Foucher was a senior aide to former finance minister Bill Morneau and helped shepherd Ottawa’s initial response to the pandemic.

The federal government has undergone a dramatic shift in political culture since Mr. Arseneau was last in Ottawa in 2018 – away from social and climate issues and toward the economy. Prime Minister Mark Carney has made growing the economy, dramatically expanding energy exports and diversifying trade top priorities. Still, his government increased deficit spending compared to the final spending plans laid out by former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

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Managing the bottom line is the finance minister’s job and Mr. Arseneau is joining the office just as the budget cycle is heating up again. Mr. Carney shifted budgets to fall tablings when he came to office last year. Because of that, consultations and preparations for the next budget are already well under way.

“Jean-Philippe brings equal parts political, diplomatic and economic experience to the portfolio, having previously advised Ministers in Ottawa and Quebec City, having worked in the private sector and having served as a diplomat in the United States,” Mr. Fragos said in his statement to The Globe.

Mr. Arseneau has also worked as a senior adviser at Heenan Blaikie in Montreal and served as both a deputy chief of staff and chief of staff in the Quebec government, according to his LinkedIn page.

Improving the tax system and delivering on the country’s plans to boost energy exports are among the areas that the government is consulting on as it crafts its next budget.

The Finance Minister told The Globe in June that the government is also seeking advice on how to best position the country to seize on the opportunities in renewable energy, critical minerals, defence and artificial intelligence.