Paul Rhodes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Rhodes is a Canadian political strategist. He was communications director for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party during the 1995, 1999 and 2003 elections, and communications director for Ontario Premier Mike Harris from 1995 to 1997. Rhodes was an architect of the Common Sense Revolution, the policy platform which ushered the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party into government in 1995.

Before entering politics, Rhodes was a reporter for CTV's affiliate in Kitchener, CKCO.

Rhodes was paid more than $1,000,000 by the Government of Ontario after he left Premier Harris' office, including $250,000 for communications consulting on the Walkerton tragedy, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in untendered contracts, which were legal, by government corporations such as Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation. Rhodes' work was disclosed under Freedom of information laws, and despite the hefty pay-out, very little real work was performed; much of it was little more than short e-mails.

Rhodes is still considered by many to have been a leading strategist and communications professional in the Canadian political landscape.