Scott Reid (political advisor)
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Scott Reid was the deputy chief of staff (operations) in the Prime Minister's Office of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, as well as one of Martin's senior advisors. He made frequent appearances in Canadian media speaking on behalf of the PMO and the Liberal Party of Canada. During the 2005-06 election campaign, he has served as director of communications for the campaign.
Reid has a B.A. in history and politics from Queen's University. His background includes work for Liberal Premier of Ontario David Peterson. He then went on to work for Earnscliffe Strategy Group, a political consulting firm closely tied to Paul Martin. From 1997 to 2001, Reid served as Communications Director for Martin while the latter was Minister of Finance. He then returned to Earnscliffe until Martin became Prime Minister in 2003.
In 2004, Reid was the subject of much commented upon remarks by U.S. President George W. Bush. At a summit in Monterrey, Mexico the Globe and Mail reported that Bush chatted with Reid about his job and then told him that "well, you got a pretty face." Bush repeated "You got a pretty face," and then said "you're a good-looking guy. Better looking than my Scott anyway." He was comparing Reid to his own spokesman, Scott McClellan.
In October 2004, Reid made media comments concerning Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams during a dispute over offshore oil revenue sharing. When Williams failed to agree to one of Paul Martin's initial offers, Reid said that Williams was "making a mistake of historic proportions and he is doing it on the backs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians... He may get some short term gains, but he will pay for this in the long run."[1] Reid's statement that Williams "was allowing his ego to get in the way of negotiations with the federal government" resulted in a public apology by the Prime Minister. [2]
In 2005, Reid again found himself the subject of media attention after making several comments the press deemed to be insulting. Reid reportedly told Calgary Herald columnist Don Martin that, "Alberta can blow me."[3]
In December 2005, Reid made off the cuff comment that received negative press and was quickly exploited by the opposition and national press corp. Reid suggested that the Conservative plan to issue cheques to parents of children under six was ill thought out because the parents might opt to spend the money on "beer and popcorn". The Tories countered with a press release stating "Does Paul Martin also stand by the views of his senior-most campaign officials -- that parents would choose 'beer and popcorn' over quality care for their children?" and Reid apologized. Reid's remarks are considered one of the Liberal Party's major gaffes of the 2006 federal election campaign.[4]
On the January 29, 2006 episode of CBC News: Sunday, Scott Reid stated that he would be stepping down from his position as press secretary of the Liberal Party in early February 2006. When questioned if he intended to remain in politics, he stated that he had an interest in remaining active in the Liberal party in the future.
After the Liberals' defeat in the January 2006 election, Reid and Scott Feschuk, Martin's chief speechwriter, launched their own speechwriting company, Feschuk Reid.
