On trouble communicating

That certainly didn't take long, as the Harper administration has its first casualty:

William Stairs, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's director of communications, has been replaced about two weeks into the new government's mandate, CTV News has learned.

"Only a couple of weeks into the job and he is leaving already," CTV's Rosemary Thompson reported on Monday evening.

It's not clear whether Stairs has been terminated or whether he left of his own will.

It'll be interesting to find out the precise reasons for Stairs' departure. But it certainly doesn't speak well to the Cons' planning that they're already losing key figures just a couple of weeks into their reign - and that message is equally strong no matter who's delivering it.