Mr. Novak was working on his master's thesis on parliamentary reform at the University of Calgary, and was recommended for the project by Rainer Knopff, a political-science professor at Mr. Harper's alma mater, the University of Calgary.... Meanwhile, over in Environment Minister John Baird's office, press secretary Eric Richer is wrapping his tenure as a political communicator and heading back to the public service. Richer had been doing communicatins for the Governor General when he moved from there (a civil service job) to become the press secretary for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.