Ontario Government Relations
From financial services and AI to critical minerals and agriculture, Ontario is Canada’s largest economy. Our trusted advisors shape government policy and build relationships that realize opportunities and maximize impact.
Working with the Government of Ontario requires trusted advisors with unrivaled experience.
Wellington advisors have served Ontario Premiers and Cabinet Ministers across all major parties. We drive outcomes for partners, including policy, legislative, and regulatory changes, complex procurement processes, and access to funding programs.
Services
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Strategy Development
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Lobbying
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Public Policy Development
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Political and Legislative Intelligence
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Stakeholder Mapping
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Meet our Ontario Advisors
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Samuel Duncan
Vice President
Sam brings close to 15 years of senior executive political and private sector experience to Wellington Advocacy. He worked as Executive Director of Policy to Premier Doug Ford, where he was responsible for leading the government’s strategic policy development and implementation process. Sam has also served as a senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada and several federal Cabinet Ministers.
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Trisha Rinneard
Vice President
With more than fifteen years of experience in Ontario provincial politics, Trisha has an instinctive understanding of government relations, stakeholder management, communications and relationship building. Trisha has worked for the Leader of the Ontario PC Party, Ontario’s Minister of Education, and as the Manager of Government Relations for one of Canada’s largest universities.
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James Rajotte
Former Alberta Senior Representative to the United States, Member of Parliament, and Senior Government Relations Executive
James Rajotte is a senior public affairs and business leader with more than two decades at the intersection of government, business, and public policy across Canada and the United States.
Most recently, Mr. Rajotte served as Alberta’s senior representative to the United States, one of the province’s most executive roles. Based in Washington, D.C., he led Alberta’s engagement with top public and private decision-makers, advancing the province’s interests in energy, trade, investment, and economic competitiveness.
Mr. Rajotte spent 15 years as a member of Parliament, representing Edmonton Southwest and Edmonton–Leduc from 2000 to 2015. He served for seven consecutive years as chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, providing leadership on major economic, fiscal, and business policy issues. He also served as chair of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
Following his parliamentary career, he became a vice president at a major telecommunications company. From 2015 to 2020, he led government relations with provincial and municipal governments across Canada, including extensive work in Ontario, helping guide the company through complex policy and regulatory environments as it expanded its broadband and wireless infrastructure.
Throughout his career, Mr. Rajotte has built trusted relationships with senior leaders in provincial and federal governments and Canada’s business community. His experience spans elected office, corporate government relations, Canada-U.S. relations, and senior advisory roles with the Government of Alberta, giving him a rare understanding of how governments make decisions and how businesses can best engage with policymakers.
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Zita Astravas
Vice President
Zita is a seasoned public affairs professional with over 15 years serving in senior government and media relations roles at both the federal and provincial levels. She joins Wellington Advocacy after serving in a number of senior leadership roles in the Trudeau government, including as Director of Issues Management and a seasoned Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Zita has also served as Chief of Staff to the President of the King’s Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, the Minister of Public Safety, and the Minister of National Defence, as well as in senior media relations roles for the Liberal Party of Canada, including during the 2015, 2019, and 2021 election campaigns. At the provincial level, Zita has served in numerous leadership roles under former Liberal Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne, including as Director of Media Relations.
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Benjamin Lamb
Director
Benjamin Lamb has years of public and private sector leadership experience. He served as Ministerial advisor in Ontario’s Provincial Government for multiple ministries, such as Infrastructure and Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development. During his service, he managed MPP and stakeholder relations, intergovernmental engagement, and complex policies. Some of these policies included Ontario’s immigration programs. Given Benjamin’s years of senior leadership experience, he naturally understands how to navigate Government processes, manage relationships, and innovate solutions.
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Ben Menka
Director
Drawing on more than a decade of experience in political offices and government relations, Ben combines first-hand government experience with a strategic, client-focused advocacy approach to Ontario’s political, public policy, and government procurement landscapes.
Ben’s professional background spans both the federal and provincial government. His previous roles include positions within the offices of the Minister of Government and Consumer Services and the Minister of Education in the Ontario government. At the federal level he served in the Office of the President of the Treasury Board.
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Jared Maltais
Senior Consultant
Jared brings a decade of experience in and around Parliament Hill to Wellington Advocacy. He has previously served as a Legislative Assistant for the Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre. Jared has also held numerous leadership roles, including Executive Director for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and Digital Director for the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He has participated in various political campaigns at all levels of government, including the 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership contest and the 2022 Ottawa mayoral election.
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Caroline Eisen
Senior Consultant
Caroline Eisen brings a decade of public and private sector experience – including as Senior Policy Advisor to the Ministers of Mines and Energy in the Government of Ontario. Her work spanned complex policy files including legislative, regulatory and policy analysis pertaining to mining permitting, critical minerals, Indigenous consultation, electricity transmission, mining and energy project management and red tape reduction. Her private sector experience includes government and stakeholder relations at a Canadian pharmaceutical company and at World Trade Centre – Dublin. Caroline holds a Master’s degree in International Relations, an Honours Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Government Relations Management.
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Nate Kirschner
Consultant
Prior to joining Wellington Advocacy, Nate completed a Summer Fellowship with the Institute for Liberal Studies where he worked on developing relationship-based approaches to reducing political polarization, as well as a business development internship with a logistics firm in British Columbia. Nate has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
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We create value
by shaping government policy and public opinion.
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Public Relations
Our advisors leverage unrivaled experience advising Prime Ministers, Provincial Premiers, Cabinet Ministers to advance strategies that shape public opinion and protect brand reputation.
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Digital Advertising and Mobilization
We combine political campaign expertise with advanced digital marketing strategies to mobilize public support for your cause.
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NGO Partnership Development
We build and strengthen connections between businesses, governments, foundations, and NGO’s to advance international development partnerships worldwide.
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Executive Advisory
Chaired by the Honourable Wayne Wouters, PC, OC, former Head of the Canadian Public Service, the Wellington Advocacy Strategic Advisory Board provides partners with strategic and specialized policy counsel.
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Trade Policy and Market Entry
Guiding businesses through Canada’s regulatory landscape, we help international and domestic partners expand into new markets, maintain compliance, and identify growth opportunities.
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