Monday, July 7, 2025

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Book Review

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 30, 2025
Mark Carney
On June 9, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would spend and extra $9-billion on defence this fiscal year, to finally reach the military alliance's then-two per cent of GDP spending target. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 30, 2025
FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 30, 2025
Mark Carney
On June 9, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would spend and extra $9-billion on defence this fiscal year, to finally reach the military alliance's then-two per cent of GDP spending target. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 26, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney. In his new book, Andrew Coyne says he tries to show that centralized power is ‘worse here than in other countries.’
FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 26, 2025
FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW | June 26, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney. In his new book, Andrew Coyne says he tries to show that centralized power is ‘worse here than in other countries.’
FeatureBY BRYCE C. TINGLE | May 19, 2025
Author Bryce C. Tingle on why he wrote this book: 'Business corporations are among the most important and powerful institutions in our society, but most Canadians don’t actually know how they are governed and who gets a say in what they do.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Cambridge University Press
FeatureBY BRYCE C. TINGLE | May 19, 2025
FeatureBY BRYCE C. TINGLE | May 19, 2025
Author Bryce C. Tingle on why he wrote this book: 'Business corporations are among the most important and powerful institutions in our society, but most Canadians don’t actually know how they are governed and who gets a say in what they do.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Cambridge University Press
Seized By Uncertainty: The Markets, Media and Special Interests That Shaped Canada’s Response to COVID-19, by Kevin Quigley, Kaitlynne Lowe, Sarah Moore, and Brianna Wolfe, published by McGill-Queen's University Press. Book cover and author photographs courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
Seized By Uncertainty: The Markets, Media and Special Interests That Shaped Canada’s Response to COVID-19, by Kevin Quigley, Kaitlynne Lowe, Sarah Moore, and Brianna Wolfe, published by McGill-Queen's University Press. Book cover and author photographs courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY JAMES B. KELLY | May 5, 2025
James B. Kelly: 'This book should be read by any prime minister or premier that contemplates using Section 33 of the Charter of Rights, in a pre-emptive fashion.' Book cover and author's photo courtesy of UBC Press
FeatureBY JAMES B. KELLY | May 5, 2025
FeatureBY JAMES B. KELLY | May 5, 2025
James B. Kelly: 'This book should be read by any prime minister or premier that contemplates using Section 33 of the Charter of Rights, in a pre-emptive fashion.' Book cover and author's photo courtesy of UBC Press
FeatureBY PAMELA CROSS | April 28, 2025
Author Pamela Cross' book, And Sometimes They Kill You: Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence is one of five books on this year's Donner Prize shortlist, and considered one of the best public policy books of the year. Book cover and photograph courtesy of
FeatureBY PAMELA CROSS | April 28, 2025
FeatureBY PAMELA CROSS | April 28, 2025
Author Pamela Cross' book, And Sometimes They Kill You: Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence is one of five books on this year's Donner Prize shortlist, and considered one of the best public policy books of the year. Book cover and photograph courtesy of
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | April 21, 2025
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured April 12, 2025, making an announcement on a campaign stop at the Tomlinson Environmental Services shop in Nepean, Ont. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | April 21, 2025
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | April 21, 2025
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured April 12, 2025, making an announcement on a campaign stop at the Tomlinson Environmental Services shop in Nepean, Ont. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Authors Mou Haizhen and Michael Atkinson on why they wrote this book: 'We wrote Fiscal Choices out of a genuine concern for Canada’s capacity to cope with both short-term economic shocks and long term-fiscal challenges.' Book cover and photograph courtesy of the University of Toronto Press
Authors Mou Haizhen and Michael Atkinson on why they wrote this book: 'We wrote Fiscal Choices out of a genuine concern for Canada’s capacity to cope with both short-term economic shocks and long term-fiscal challenges.' Book cover and photograph courtesy of the University of Toronto Press
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | April 21, 2025
Rose LeMay is the author of Ally Is a Verb. Book cover courtesy of Page Two and handout photograph
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | April 21, 2025
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | April 21, 2025
Rose LeMay is the author of Ally Is a Verb. Book cover courtesy of Page Two and handout photograph
FeatureBY JAMIE CARROLL | April 2, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre launched his campaign outside of the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on March 23. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY JAMIE CARROLL | April 2, 2025
FeatureBY JAMIE CARROLL | April 2, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre launched his campaign outside of the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on March 23. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | March 1, 2025
Alasdair Roberts
Alasdair Roberts, author of 'The Adaptable Country,' says 'this is a book about the capacity of all Canadians to determine the future of their country. In other words, it is a book for Canadians who want to take back control.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | March 1, 2025
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | March 1, 2025
Alasdair Roberts
Alasdair Roberts, author of 'The Adaptable Country,' says 'this is a book about the capacity of all Canadians to determine the future of their country. In other words, it is a book for Canadians who want to take back control.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | January 9, 2025
In his new book, Shadows of Tyranny, left, Ken McGoogan argues we're at a historical juncture, where an ascendant right—personified by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, right—is fed up with this system of laws, regulations, and institutions and means to rewrite them, writes Christopher Dornan. Book cover courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre and Trump photo courtesy of Commons Wikimedia
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | January 9, 2025
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | January 9, 2025
In his new book, Shadows of Tyranny, left, Ken McGoogan argues we're at a historical juncture, where an ascendant right—personified by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, right—is fed up with this system of laws, regulations, and institutions and means to rewrite them, writes Christopher Dornan. Book cover courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre and Trump photo courtesy of Commons Wikimedia
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | January 2, 2025
Chrystia Freeland
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, with Chrystia Freeland prior to her resignation from cabinet. A new biography on Freeland details the former finance minister and deputy prime minister's past. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | January 2, 2025
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | January 2, 2025
Chrystia Freeland
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, with Chrystia Freeland prior to her resignation from cabinet. A new biography on Freeland details the former finance minister and deputy prime minister's past. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY MARK JOHNSON | December 23, 2024
Tonay Blair’s On Leadership describes the necessity of having a 'hinterland' of family, non-political friends, hobbies, and interests that keep you sane, grounded, and ultimately make you a better leader, writes Mark Johnson. Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Opinion | BY MARK JOHNSON | December 23, 2024
Opinion | BY MARK JOHNSON | December 23, 2024
Tonay Blair’s On Leadership describes the necessity of having a 'hinterland' of family, non-political friends, hobbies, and interests that keep you sane, grounded, and ultimately make you a better leader, writes Mark Johnson. Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 17, 2024
Chrystia Freeland
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Dec. 3, 2024, resigned from cabinet on Dec. 16. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 17, 2024
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 17, 2024
Chrystia Freeland
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured Dec. 3, 2024, resigned from cabinet on Dec. 16. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | December 16, 2024
Book covers courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada, Simon & Schuster, Véhicule Press, James Lorimer, Signal/McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada, and McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | December 16, 2024
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | December 16, 2024
Book covers courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada, Simon & Schuster, Véhicule Press, James Lorimer, Signal/McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada, and McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY BRUCE CAMPBELL | December 16, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Trudeau's office on Parliament Hill on March 24, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY BRUCE CAMPBELL | December 16, 2024
FeatureBY BRUCE CAMPBELL | December 16, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Trudeau's office on Parliament Hill on March 24, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 16, 2024
Carol Off's At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage is a worthwhile assessment of the world we face, taking a step back from the daily news and examining why we're divided, how this has happened, and who stands to benefit the most from a polity that cannot find a common ground on basic reality. Photographs courtesy of Penguin Random House
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 16, 2024
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | December 16, 2024
Carol Off's At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage is a worthwhile assessment of the world we face, taking a step back from the daily news and examining why we're divided, how this has happened, and who stands to benefit the most from a polity that cannot find a common ground on basic reality. Photographs courtesy of Penguin Random House
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | December 16, 2024
Former Jean Chrétien-era foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, pictured in Ottawa on March 25, 2019. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | December 16, 2024
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | December 16, 2024
Former Jean Chrétien-era foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, pictured in Ottawa on March 25, 2019. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | November 4, 2024
NDP MP Charlie Angus just released a new book, Dangerous Memory: Coming of Age in the Decade of Greed, his ninth book: 'I don’t think I would have been able to keep doing the political work if I didn’t nurture space for musical creativity and research.' Photograph courtesy of Paul Rincon and House of Anansi Press
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | November 4, 2024
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | November 4, 2024
NDP MP Charlie Angus just released a new book, Dangerous Memory: Coming of Age in the Decade of Greed, his ninth book: 'I don’t think I would have been able to keep doing the political work if I didn’t nurture space for musical creativity and research.' Photograph courtesy of Paul Rincon and House of Anansi Press
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | October 30, 2024
Justin Trudeau, left, Pierre Poilievre, and Jagmeet Singh. Author Jonathan Manthorpe insists our representative democracy is crucially misrepresentative. The first-past-the-post electoral system skews the outcome, so the governments we get are a triple distortion of voters’ political will, writes Chris Dornan. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | October 30, 2024
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | October 30, 2024
Justin Trudeau, left, Pierre Poilievre, and Jagmeet Singh. Author Jonathan Manthorpe insists our representative democracy is crucially misrepresentative. The first-past-the-post electoral system skews the outcome, so the governments we get are a triple distortion of voters’ political will, writes Chris Dornan. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | June 10, 2024
Hot tickets: Stephen Maher's The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau, and Paul Wells' Justin Trudeau on the Ropes are must-reads this spring. Images courtesy of Simon & Schuster, Sutherland House, and The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | June 10, 2024
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | June 10, 2024
Hot tickets: Stephen Maher's The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau, and Paul Wells' Justin Trudeau on the Ropes are must-reads this spring. Images courtesy of Simon & Schuster, Sutherland House, and The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 27, 2024
Justin Trudeau: 'The contrast between the vision that Mr. Poilievre is putting forward and what we continue to work for every single day couldn't be clearer, couldn't be crisper. As a competitor, as a leader, as someone committed to this country, being there for that conversation with Canadians touches me at the ore of what I feel my purpose is.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 27, 2024
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 27, 2024
Justin Trudeau: 'The contrast between the vision that Mr. Poilievre is putting forward and what we continue to work for every single day couldn't be clearer, couldn't be crisper. As a competitor, as a leader, as someone committed to this country, being there for that conversation with Canadians touches me at the ore of what I feel my purpose is.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
Rob Goodman: 'Our future depends on our mental independence from America. We can’t effectively protect our own institutions—from parliamentary government to a remarkable openness to immigration—without understanding what makes them our own. We can’t aspire to anything meaningfully better until we are secure in our difference.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Simon & Schuster
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
Rob Goodman: 'Our future depends on our mental independence from America. We can’t effectively protect our own institutions—from parliamentary government to a remarkable openness to immigration—without understanding what makes them our own. We can’t aspire to anything meaningfully better until we are secure in our difference.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Simon & Schuster
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
Benjamin Perrin on why his book is important: 'Indictment shares the first-hand stories of people whose lives have been devastated by the criminal justice system along with the latest research. It proposes a new transformative justice vision to help transform trauma rather than continue to transmit it.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Aevo UTP
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
Benjamin Perrin on why his book is important: 'Indictment shares the first-hand stories of people whose lives have been devastated by the criminal justice system along with the latest research. It proposes a new transformative justice vision to help transform trauma rather than continue to transmit it.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Aevo UTP
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
Astra Taylor: 'How we understand and respond to insecurity is one of the most urgent questions of our moment, for nothing less than the future security of our species hangs in the balance. Insecurity can cut both ways, serving as a conduit to empathy, humility, and belonging—or it can spur defensive and destructive compulsions.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of House of Anansi Press Inc.
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
Astra Taylor: 'How we understand and respond to insecurity is one of the most urgent questions of our moment, for nothing less than the future security of our species hangs in the balance. Insecurity can cut both ways, serving as a conduit to empathy, humility, and belonging—or it can spur defensive and destructive compulsions.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of House of Anansi Press Inc.
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
Donald J. Savoie on who should read this book: 'I wrote this book for all Canadians. I think that it is important for Canadians to take stock of what works, what does not, who benefits from the country’s national political institutions, who does not, and how collectively we can make them better.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
Donald J. Savoie on who should read this book: 'I wrote this book for all Canadians. I think that it is important for Canadians to take stock of what works, what does not, who benefits from the country’s national political institutions, who does not, and how collectively we can make them better.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | July 29, 2019
UBC professor and author Daniel Pauly, is also director of the Sea Around Us, which studies and mitigates the impact of fisheries. 'I write about what is, and fight for what I think ought to be—whether or not I will be successful in the end is irrelevant. The same applies to anyone fighting, whether against climate change or for the health of our oceans. Nothing will change without action.' Photograph courtesy of the Sea Around Us & the University of British Columbia
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | July 29, 2019
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | July 29, 2019
UBC professor and author Daniel Pauly, is also director of the Sea Around Us, which studies and mitigates the impact of fisheries. 'I write about what is, and fight for what I think ought to be—whether or not I will be successful in the end is irrelevant. The same applies to anyone fighting, whether against climate change or for the health of our oceans. Nothing will change without action.' Photograph courtesy of the Sea Around Us & the University of British Columbia
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 29, 2019
Aaron Wherry's Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power will be published on Aug. 20, and John Ivison's Trudeau: The Education of a Prime Minister will have a launch party on Aug. 7. Book cover images courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers and McClelland and Stewart
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 29, 2019
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 29, 2019
Aaron Wherry's Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power will be published on Aug. 20, and John Ivison's Trudeau: The Education of a Prime Minister will have a launch party on Aug. 7. Book cover images courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers and McClelland and Stewart
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 24, 2019
A new thriller by Andrew MacDougall focuses on a 10 Downing St. press adviser who tries to manage a political crisis in the midst of a terror attack and Russian oligarch financial influence of the governing party. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 24, 2019
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | July 24, 2019
A new thriller by Andrew MacDougall focuses on a 10 Downing St. press adviser who tries to manage a political crisis in the midst of a terror attack and Russian oligarch financial influence of the governing party. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
News | BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | July 22, 2019
Treasury Board President Joyce Murray, pictured leaving a cabinet meeting in the West Block in May, recently had two of her ministerial staffers exit to join her office as the Liberal MP for Vancouver Quadra, B.C. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | July 22, 2019
News | BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | July 22, 2019
Treasury Board President Joyce Murray, pictured leaving a cabinet meeting in the West Block in May, recently had two of her ministerial staffers exit to join her office as the Liberal MP for Vancouver Quadra, B.C. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY MELADUL HAQ AHMADZAI | July 1, 2019
Then Afghanistan's minister of interior Hanif Atmar, centre, pictured on May 3, 2010, with Brig.-Gen. Anne MacDonald at a NATO training mission along with other officials. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/U.S. Navy photograph
Opinion | BY MELADUL HAQ AHMADZAI | July 1, 2019
Opinion | BY MELADUL HAQ AHMADZAI | July 1, 2019
Then Afghanistan's minister of interior Hanif Atmar, centre, pictured on May 3, 2010, with Brig.-Gen. Anne MacDonald at a NATO training mission along with other officials. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/U.S. Navy photograph
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 29, 2019
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel, left, and U.S. Army veteran Jeffrey Garner, right, wed in a private ceremony on May 25. Photograph courtesy of Twitter
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 29, 2019
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 29, 2019
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel, left, and U.S. Army veteran Jeffrey Garner, right, wed in a private ceremony on May 25. Photograph courtesy of Twitter
Opinion | BY SEAN WILSON | May 27, 2019
Protesters, pictured on Wellington Street outside the Prime Minister's Office on Jan. 8, 2019, out in solidarity with First Nations people who had been arrested at Wet’suwet’en camp in northern British Columbia who are against the pipeline development in their territory. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY SEAN WILSON | May 27, 2019
Opinion | BY SEAN WILSON | May 27, 2019
Protesters, pictured on Wellington Street outside the Prime Minister's Office on Jan. 8, 2019, out in solidarity with First Nations people who had been arrested at Wet’suwet’en camp in northern British Columbia who are against the pipeline development in their territory. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
Activist Dave Meslin, founder of the Toronto Public Space Committee and Cycle Toronto, has a new book out, Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up. Published by Penguin Canada, Mr. Meslin’s 363-page book is the longtime activist’s first—'and last,' he quipped—and is the product of six years of research and writing. Photograph courtesy of Mitchel Raphael
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
Activist Dave Meslin, founder of the Toronto Public Space Committee and Cycle Toronto, has a new book out, Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up. Published by Penguin Canada, Mr. Meslin’s 363-page book is the longtime activist’s first—'and last,' he quipped—and is the product of six years of research and writing. Photograph courtesy of Mitchel Raphael
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
'If we can clear up some of the myths and misconceptions, and see that there really is a lot of common ground and that it’ll actually make the country a much better country—that would be a pretty good lifetime of work for me just to change that,' says Bob Joseph. Photograph courtesy of Bob Joseph
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | May 27, 2019
'If we can clear up some of the myths and misconceptions, and see that there really is a lot of common ground and that it’ll actually make the country a much better country—that would be a pretty good lifetime of work for me just to change that,' says Bob Joseph. Photograph courtesy of Bob Joseph
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 27, 2019
Michelle Rempel may be the first Canadian politician with their own app. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 27, 2019
FeatureBY NEIL MOSS | May 27, 2019
Michelle Rempel may be the first Canadian politician with their own app. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade