Two PMO departures
One News reports:
The Prime Minister’s strategic communications chief adviser, Mike Jaspers, has resigned and leaves at the end of this week.
A spokesperson for Jacinda Ardern said Mr Jaspers has chosen to take a break and pursue new opportunities in the New Year.
Mike Jaspers, who’s a former TVNZ journalist, was Ms Ardern’s chief press secretary and moved into the strategic advisory role this year.
He was replaced by Andrew Campbell, formerly the Greens chief strategist and communications director.
Mr Jasper’s departure comes a week after one of Ms Ardern’s three other press secretaries, former journalist Julie Jacobson, left her job in the Prime Minister’s Office.
This is a bit unusual. People do move on from the PMO but usually after quite a few years there, not after just 12 months. And even more unusual if they worked with the party in opposition. You spend the grinding years in opposition with the hope you’ll get into government one day. To move on after just 12 months is again unusual.
But it may be as simple as they now can get higher paid jobs with a stint in the PMO on their CV.
What makes me a bit suspicious though is they both are off to pursue “other opportunities” which strongly suggests they don’t actually have a job lined up to go to. In which case, there is a reasonable chance this is part of the PM realising her office needs to improve their political management.