ABOUT

About

Patrick is one of Canada’s most highly respected public relations practitioners. Drawing on 40 years of experience in broadcasting, politics and communications, including serving as the prime minister’s press secretary.

Patrick started his career as a TV producer, then senior CRTC official. Following his high-profile tenure as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Patrick worked at the Canadian Embassy in Washington with Ambassador Allan Gotlieb, where he orchestrated media and promotional events. Returning to Canada in 1985, he founded Media Profile and published his recollections of the Trudeau years in Close to the Charisma (McClelland and Stewart, 1986).

Patrick was a regular political panelist on CBC Newsworld’s “Politics'' and has appeared on TVO, BNN, CP24, CBC Television and Radio, Canada AM. AM 640 and Zoomer radio. He has also written columns and book reviews for the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Policy Options, and Politics. He currently is heard weekly on SiriusXM Canada Talks.

Patrick is former Vice Chairman of the McMichael Canadian Collection, is former Chair of Toronto’s Heritage Preservation Committee and serves on the Development Committee of the downtown social service agency, Dixon Hall. He served on both successful campaign committees for Toronto Mayor David Miller. He is fluently bilingual.

Insider political views from Patrick Gossage, former press secretary to Pierre Trudeau, author, blogger, performance coach.

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LATEST ARTICLES

Justin and PMO Never Lost Much Sleep Over Threats of Chinese Political Interference

By Patrick Gossage • 22 Apr, 2024

The rather dismissive attitude shown by the Prime Minister and his staff towards Chinese interference in our democracy at their appearance before the ongoing public inquiry at least is consistent with his dismissive attitude over the years. Fourteen years ago the warnings by of the then new head of CSIS Richard Fadden were ignored.

The Thousands of Volunteers who Serve the Needy in Toronto

By Patrick Gossage • 26 Mar, 2024

Many Torontonians feel a sense of responsibility to our fellow citizens who suffer from homelessness. They make and serve them meals, give them clothing, and often just talk to them and make them feel less ignored and misunderstood. They also discover that those who don’t have a roof over their heads and carry all they own in a knapsack are not druggies, losers or mad people but a cross section of ordinary folks who have fallen on hard times. For them the housing crisis is a joke. They just want food and a bed in a room with a toilet and shower nearby.

Justin – Has He Built A Sufficient Legacy To Justify Resignation?

By Patrick Gossage • 27 Feb, 2024

This is the real question to examine for those many Liberals that wish he would have his own “walk in the snow” and resign like his father did almost 50 years to the day – February 28, 1984. Pierre Trudeau told a confidante the day of that fateful moment: “I don't have the energy anymore for the job." His close staff also felt he was convinced he had done what he set out to do. The list was long: He had repatriated the constitution with a charter of rights and freedoms, beaten Quebec separatism, and established his Peace Mission on the hot button nuclear issue. He felt there was no new agenda to inspire him to stay on.