By Gazette Staff
December 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Lots of palace intrigue at Queen’s Park.
Premier Ford didn’t like the job Progressive Conservative Party Executive Director Gareth Neilson was doing and turfed him after just six months in the job.
Political intrigue walks the halls of the provincial legislature.
Just six months after taking the gig, PC Party executive director Gareth Neilson was abruptly shown the door this week, Queen’s Park.
Observer has learned. Neilson, a longtime organizer with decades of party work under his belt, was fired “without cause” at the behest of Premier Doug Ford.
The PC party Executive Director’s job is to keep the party on an election footing, be it for the next election or a snap election.
Neilson is quoted as saying: “Just look at the Ontario Liberals, they’re a mess today and it’s because they failed to prep before and after 2018.”
One PC insider said “It sounds like the Neilson exit reflects the leader [DOUG FORD]’s preference for putting a loyalist in the job — someone more in line with his direction, much like [ex-exec director] DAVID GARLAND. That could explain why Gareth didn’t last. ““From what I saw working with him, he was laying the groundwork the party would need heading into the next campaign. In politics, you’re always gearing up for the next fight, whether it’s a by-election or a snap general.”
Why it matters: Executive directors are crucial to a political party’s function — they’re in charge of pretty much every facet of the operation, from overseeing memberships to election prep and beyond.
Just six months after taking the gig, PC Party executive director Neilson was abruptly shown the door this week. Neilson, a longtime organizer with decades of party work under his belt, was fired “without cause” at the behest of Premier DOUG FORD.
Neilson is keeping pretty tight-lipped on the matter — reached by phone last night, he only said “the party is going in a different direction.”
You serve at the will of the leader.
“You serve at the will of the leader. It is what it is,” he said. “I’ll be back when Doug Ford’s gone.”
It isn’t the first time Neilson’s been let go from the party, he was turfed as director of organization around the 2022 election, before returning as exec director this spring.
This time around, his ouster caught many card-carrying loyalists off guard, including one sitting caucus member who said, “wow.”
Word on the street is party brass weren’t happy with some of the budget cuts Neilson was pushing for. And while he says he has “no hard feelings,” Neilson is no longer planning on attending the upcoming party convention at the end of January.
The timing of his firing and its proximity to the convention is also raising eyebrows, but Neilson said most of the planning on that front is already done.
Executive directors are crucial to a political party’s function — they’re in charge of pretty much every facet of the operation, from overseeing memberships to election prep and beyond. It’s a full-time paid position.
Discover more from Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
