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Former Chretien chief of staff Eddie Goldenberg has died

  • David Baxter

    David Baxter

  • Canadian Press

  • July 9, 2026

Eddie Goldenberg of Ottawa (left) shakes hands with Governor General David Johnston as he was invested as Member to the Order of Canada at a ceremony at Rideau Hall the official residence of the Governor General in Ottawa, Friday November 21, 2014 . THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

OTTAWA -- Eddie Goldenberg, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien, has died. 

A statement from Global Public Affairs CEO Randy Pettipas, where Goldenberg worked, says Goldenberg died "after a hard-fought battle with cancer."

Originally from Montreal, Goldenberg was a lawyer by trade and spent a decade as a senior policy adviser for Chretien before ultimately being named his chief of staff. 

Goldenberg was a contributing author to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and was invested into the Order of Canada in 2014 for his decades of public service.

He'd been seen as an elder statesman in the Liberal party.

Pettipas says Goldenberg remained involved in client work, including working with former governor general David Johnston to attract researchers to Canada right up until the last few months of his life. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 9, 2026.