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The leader of the Saskatchewan NDP is on the hunt for a chief of staff after one of his most trusted advisers abruptly left his position after less than one year.

Olin Valby left the role for “personal reasons,” party leader Ryan Meili said in an interview. Valby’s departure is understood to not be motivated by disagreement with Meili or conflict in the office.

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Valby, whose last day on the job was Tuesday, befriended Meili more than 20 years ago and served as a ministerial assistant in Lorne Calvert’s NDP government before leaving politics. He quit his Texas-based job with TransCanada Corp. to rejoin the party last July.

Meili’s decision to appoint an oil industry manager as his first chief of staff was seen by some as a bold choice. At the time, Meili said his friend had a “real understanding” of politics and managing big projects.

In Canada, a party leader’s chief of staff is typically his or her most senior aide, a trusted adviser who oversees staff and general political operations as well as acting as a gatekeeper for in-house business.