Brian Topp leaving Premier Rachel Notley's government as part of administration shakeup

Brian Topp, Premier Rachel Notley'schief of staff, is leaving his position in the biggestshakeup to the Alberta NDP since the party wonthe election 18 months ago.

Topp, a former party president of the federal NDP whoran for theNDP leadership in 2012, finishing second toTom Mulcair, joined the Notley government inMay 2015.

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Notley thanked Topp in a news release Wednesday.

"He was instrumental in advancing such major initiatives as the climate leadership plan, establishing a stable electricity market and securing approval for the Trans Mountain Pipeline," she said.

Toppalso ran the Alberta NDP "war room" during the campaign.

Topp is returning to Ontario where he has been named senior fellow at Canada's Public Policy Forum, an Ottawa-based think tank.

Notley is replacing Topp withJohnHeaney.

Heaney, who grew up in Edmonton and once worked for the Alberta NDP caucus in the 1980s, most recentlyserved as the Alberta government'sdeputy minister of policy co-ordination.

"John is enormously qualified, with decades of experience working in senior government and legislative positions," Notley said.

Notleyalso named Jim Rutkowski, who was Finance Minister Joe Ceci'schief of staff, as principal secretary in the premier's office, whilecurrent principal secretary Anne McGrathmoves to Calgary to leadthe premier's southern Alberta office as executive director, replacing Bob Hawkesworth.

Hawkesworth, a former NDP MLA who was appointed to the positionafter losinga byelection, is "moving on from government"next week.

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