V. Anthony Salloum
E-mail: anthony@anthonysalloum.ca
» Key professional experiences
Parliamentary and political affairs;
Public policy and government relations;
Communications and media experience.
» Education
Masters in Public Administration
1989 – Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Particular focus on policy development, inter-governmental relations and municipal management.
Bachelor of Science
1983 – Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
» Professional Experience
September 2011- Whip’s Assistant – Lobby Coordinator
May 2025 NDP Whip
Principle responsibilities include:
- Monitoring all House of Commons activities;
- Efficient management of the lobby space* with an eye to providing a sanctuary to MPs;
- Tracking all Duty Day exchanges* of Members of Parliament;
- Lining up New Democrat speakers on all government bills, Emergency* and Take-Note* debates;
- Preparing and circulating the daily detailed Line Up*;
- Providing guidance to all MPs and their staff on parliamentary procedure; and
- Assisting the Whip* on various projects as required.
* See Glossary
January 2013 – Acting Deputy Director- Parliamentary Affairs
May 2013 Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition
Principle responsibilities included:
- Daily supervision of departmental staff;
- Reviewing and signing off on departmental products;
- Approving all overtime and vacation requests;
- Helping staff prioritize their work during peak periods of high demand;
- Contributing to policy development as well as strategic decision-making on key files and emerging issues;
- Developing a new product for the department; and
- Liaising with other departments within the OLO.
January 2010 – Legislative Assistant
September 2011 Claude Gravelle, MP Nickel Belt
Legislative responsibilities included:
- Policy development on a National Mining Strategy as well natural resources and labour files for Northern Ontario;
- Manager of MP’s legislative agenda;
- Staffing MP at public events and meetings in Ottawa and the riding;
- MP budget management;
- Handling of all riding office issues;
- Attending events and meetings on behalf of MP; and
- Supervision of volunteers, interns and co-op students.
Communication responsibilities included:
- Drafting of all public and internal documents;
- Media relations at both the local, regional and national level;
- Riding outreach; and
- Election planning.
August 2009 – Senior Consultant
December 2009 Rideau Institute on International Affairs
Responsibilities included:
- Delivering government relations, policy, and strategic advice to key clients, as well as certain Rideau Institute programs such as peace and disarmament, space security and human rights;
- Providing key strategic advice to the president and board on an on-going basis; and
- Delivery of signature events organized by the Rideau Institute.
Feb. 2007- Program Director
July 2009 Rideau Institute on International Affairs
Responsibilities included:
- Creative development, planning, communications, and advocacy elements of the Institute’s various programs, including Space Security, Defence and Security;
- Product and service development for the Institute;
- Consultative and government relations work with civil society and labour partners; and
- Public awareness campaigns on issues important to the Institute.
2003 – Feb. 2007 Legislative and Communications Assistant
(Ottawa) Alexa McDonough, Member of Parliament for Halifax
NDP Foreign Affairs and International Development Critic
Legislative responsibilities included:
- Policy development on Foreign Affairs and International Development issues;
- Two years of policy development on post-secondary education issues;
- Manager of MP’s legislative agenda;
- Manager of MP’s parliamentary committee agenda;
- Staffing MP at public events and meetings;
- Attending events and meetings on behalf of MP; and
- Supervision of volunteers, interns and coop students.
Communication responsibilities included: - Drafting of all public and internal documents:
- Design and daily management of MP website;
- Media relations at both the local, regional and national level.
2000 – 2003 Halifax Relations and Communications Assistant
(Ottawa) Alexa McDonough, NDP Leader and MP for Halifax
Responsibilities included:
- Manager of MP’s legislative agenda;
- Staffing MP at public events and meetings;
- Assisting leader’s staff with speeches, parliamentary statements, critic and constituency-related correspondence;Producing MP’s parliamentary reports to constituents;Media relations at both the local and regional level; and
- Supervision of volunteers, interns and coop students.
» Political Experience:
- 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021 federal elections in Canada
- 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2006 provincial elections in Nova Scotia
- Several provincial and federal by-elections and provincial elections in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia
Experiences include:
- Campaign Manager – 2025 Federal Election
Responsibilities included planning and managing a fully resourced campaign, guidance to an amazing team on strategic communications including radio, print and digital, voter outreach and contact, candidate support, and media relations. - Candidate Support – 2019 and 2021 Federal Elections
Responsibilities included candidate media and debate training, communications material, election questionnaires, media relations, and preparation of debate materials. - Lead Communications – 2015 Nickel Belt and Sudbury federal campaigns. Responsibilities included communications material; media relations; press conferences and releases, candidate briefings and debate prep, correspondence and questionnaires; and preparation of all debate material.
- Deputy Campaign Manager- Nickel Belt (2011). Produced all communications material; liaised with media; briefed candidate daily, prepared all debate material; supervised office management and sign crew.
- Communications coordinator – campaign brochures, local and national questionnaire responses and correspondence, advertising, press releases and conferences, media relations, etc.;
- Candidate website design and management;
- Policy advisor to candidate and campaign manager;
- Election Day event organizer – selection of location for national broadcasts, attending to national media needs, supervising technical and decorating crews, floor and stage manager of election night events, etc.;
- Leader’s Tour advance – scouting for strategic locations for daily campaign announcements of the Leader, supplying Tour Coordinator with every directional and logistical detail pertaining to the daily campaign announcement; controlling every conceivable external factor that may affect the leader’s daily campaign announcement such as minimizing surrounding noise, securing power generation for electronic equipment, mounting campaign backdrops, ensuring presence of local candidates and supporters when needed, etc.;
- Election sign crew manager; and
- Door-to-door and telephone canvasser.
» Languages:
- English, French and Arabic (limited writing skills)
» Glossary
Whip – A Member of Parliament (MP) assigned by a Party Leader to keep other Members of the same party informed concerning House of Commons business and ensuring their attendance in the House or in committee, especially when a vote is anticipated. Each party normally has a Chief Whip and one or more Deputy Whips.
Lobby Space – Rooms adjacent to the government and opposition sides of the Chamber, that are primarily for MPs and employees of Whips and House Leaders. This is the highly restricted space from which all strategic activities taking place in the House of Commons are coordinated by the parties.
Duty Day Exchanges – The Whip’s office assigns duty to their party’s MPs in order to ensure constant representation in the House of Commons. MPs are then free to exchange their duty if other priorities arise. The Whip’s office tracks all these exchanges and approves/denies them depending on other more pressing matters of the day.
Emergency Debate – A debate devoted to the discussion of a specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration by the House of Commons.
Take-Note Debate – Debate on a matter deemed to be important but not time sensitive, and therefore usually scheduled for a specific day when Parliament is sitting.
Line Up – A detailed document containing all pertinent detailed information about the party’s duty MPs, speakers on government and private members’ business, legislative agenda of the day, and the list of MPs posing questions to the government during Question Period.