/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
City News

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #5, Gerald Butts

Our annual ranking of the people whose smarts, connections and clout are changing the city as we know it

By Toronto Life
Copy link
Gerald Butts
(Image: Reuters)

Gerald Butts

PMO

5 Chalk up the Liberal surge to some combination of anti-Harper sentiment, Trudeauian charisma and a general jonesing for change, but don’t discount the role of Butts. As principal advisor to Trudeau, Butts was at his side virtually every day during the campaign, playing attack dog, debate coach, armchair therapist and Sun Tzu tactician as needed. His fingerprints were all over the sweep of the GTA, territory he knows well from his days as principal secretary and election whisperer to McGuinty. Under Butts’s strategic direction, the Grits focused on the city’s transit woes, took the high road on the niqab and spent heaps of time in the 905. In the process, Butts cemented his legacy as an adept reader of the Canadian psyche and a brilliant strategist. He’s now the most powerful non-elected person on Parliament Hill.

Family Lore:

He’s the son of a Nova Scotian coal miner.

More of Toronto's Most Influential People

Toronto's 50 Most Influential: #1, Drake
Culture

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #1, Drake

Today, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Drake is Toronto

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.