Dwight Ball overhauls communications in premier's office

Dwight Ball has announced yet another shakeup in the premier's office, with the appointment of a new communications director.

Nancy O'Connor, who was in charge of Ball's communications during the campaign and worked with him while in opposition, is no longerdirector of communications.

O'Connor will be replaced by Andrew Caddell, who is returning to the province after working as a senior policy advisor with various federal government departments.

There is no immediate word on why O'Connor has left the premier's office.

Latest staffing switch

In the eight months since the Liberals formed the government, there hasbeen a lot of turnover in the premier'soffice.

Ball's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff both left the office, and neither positionhasbeen directly replaced.

The premier's press secretary was also recently moved into a non-political government communications job.

In a news release Thursday, Ball announced two other communications appointments.

Michelle Cannizzarois the new media relations manager and JillianHood was appointed as content manager. Those positions are effective immediately.

Caddell will begin in his role on Aug. 22.

'Postergate'

O'Connor was involved with the controversy surrounding posters calling for Ball to resign that government paid to have removed near Confederation building in St. John's in June.

The premier said his office wasn't involved in the removal of the posters, but anemailreleased through access to informationshowed that O'Connor hadasked staff at Memorial Universityabout whether the posters could be taken down.

Activists involved in putting the sign up said the premier was lying, but he said at the time that O'Connor wasmerelyinquiring if the posters were allowed to bethere.