Nigel Wright, former chief of staff to Stephen Harper, dead at 62

Nigel Wright, ex-chief of staff to PM Stephen Harper, has died at 62. Harper and Pierre Poilievre shared their thoughts and condolences with his family.

OTTAWA — Nigel Wright, a longtime Canadian businessman and former top aide to prime minister Stephen Harper, has died.

Onex, the private equity firm where Wright worked for nearly three decades, announced his death in a statement on Tuesday. The firm did not provide a cause of death.

Wright was 62.

The firm’s president and CEO Bobby Le Blanc said Wright was a consummate gentleman and will be dearly missed.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our cherished colleague and friend, Nigel,” Le Blanc said.

Wright was Harper’s chief of staff from 2011 to 2013.

In a post on social media Tuesday afternoon, Harper said he and his wife Laureen were shocked and heartbroken to hear of Wright’s sudden passing.

“A unique and deeply accomplished person, Nigel combined intellectual acumen with incredible capacity for work,” Harper wrote on X.

He added that Wright “was also a man of faith who cared about his fellow citizens and generously supported a range of philanthropic causes throughout his life.”

Andrew MacDougall, Harper’s former director of communications, said in an email that Wright was “everything you would want a public servant to be: smart, dedicated, and Stakhanovite in his work ethic.

“But he was an even better person. Kind, generous, and selfless to a fault.

“He cared deeply about Canada and public policy and his loss will be deeply felt by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offered condolences to Wright’s loved ones on behalf of the party.

“Nigel was a principled and honourable man who was dedicated to Canada and to public service, and who made a lasting contribution to our country,” Poilievre said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on social media that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Wright’s passing, calling him a “widely respected business leader and builder with a lifelong commitment to public service and community leadership.”

“Throughout his career, Nigel contributed to a better and more prosperous future for Canadians,” Carney said. “I was privileged to know Nigel, benefited often from his counsel, and have long been inspired by his dedication to our country, his kindness to his friends, and his faith in our common future.”

Former colleagues shared condolences on social media Tuesday afternoon.

Dimitri Soudas, who also worked as Harper’s director of communications, said on X that Wright’s “sharp mind and unwavering dedication left a mark on all of us who had the privilege to work alongside him.”

“He contributed mightily to Canadian conservatism, mostly quietly, always modestly,” wrote Ken Boessenkool, a former adviser to Harper.

“In addition to his business and investment acumen, Nigel had a long life of public service and I remember all my times working with him with great fondness,” said Ian Brodie, who was Harper’s chief of staff from 2006 to 2008.

Wright had been politically active since his university days and was a longtime friend and supporter of Harper.

He began working at Onex in 1997, the firm said.

He joined Harper’s office in 2011 but left the high-profile position less than three years later in May 2013 over his involvement in the Senate expenses scandal.

Wright resigned after it was revealed that he secretly wrote a $90,000 personal cheque to Mike Duffy, then a Conservative senator, to repay the Senate for questionable living expense claims.

At the time, Wright said he intended to ensure taxpayers were not on the hook for the expenses. “I believed that my actions were always in the public interest and lawful,” he said in a statement in early 2014.

The RCMP investigated the matter for months before publicly stating there was no evidence to support a criminal charge against Wright. Duffy, however, was charged with 31 counts, including accepting a bribe.

Duffy eventually was found not guilty, though the judge in the case called the actions of those in the Prime Minister’s Office unacceptable and “mind-boggling.”

The ethics commissioner found that Wright broke federal conflict-of-interest rules in 2017. The commissioner had no power to impose sanctions or penalties in the case.

In 2014, after nearly a year out of the spotlight, Wright returned to Onex and joined the firm’s London office.

Jason Kenney, former premier of Alberta and Conservative MP, said on social media he is “shocked and saddened” by Wright’s sudden and untimely death.

“Nigel was one of the kindest, most decent and generous people I have ever known,” Kenney said. “A person of unimpeachable integrity and honour. A brilliant man who excelled in business, and had a heart for public service. He was a true Canadian patriot. But most importantly, he was man of deep faith.”

“He will be deeply missed by his many friends around the world.”

By Sarah Ritchie.