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OTTAWA — Kirsten Mercer was Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s justice policy adviser at Queen’s Park.

When Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister, surrounded by a Praetorian Guard of former Ontario Liberals, it was natural that Mercer would look to Ottawa for her next career move.

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She joined the office of new justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould as chief of staff, just as her husband, Matthew Mendelsohn, became first deputy secretary at the Privy Council Office, a political appointment responsible for “results and delivery.” He is widely tipped to be the next Clerk of the Privy Council, Canada’s top public servant.

Yet within months of relocating to Ottawa, Mercer has left Wilson-Raybould’s office, to be replaced by Cyrus Reporter, a trusted Trudeau adviser, who was his chief of staff in opposition.

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To lose one chief may have been a misfortune; but to lose two looks like carelessness. Also gone is Maxime Dea, a lawyer who was appointed to head up the office of Maryam Monsef, the minister for Democratic Reform.