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Tuesday, December 2, 2025

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Bhagwant Sandhu

Bhagwant Sandhu is a retired director general from the federal government. Between 2002-21 he held senior roles in several departments, including Fisheries and Ocean Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, and Public Works Canada. He has also held executive positions in the governments of Ontario and British Columbia.

Pierre Poilievre and the exhaustion of populism

  • The Conservative leader’s antagonistic instincts may help him survive a leadership review, but they’re undermining his credibility as a national leader.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 19, 2025
The anxieties Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre taps into—including crime, economic precarity, and housing—are real. But where substantive solutions are needed, he defaults to hashtags, columnist Bhagwant Sandhu writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pierre Poilievre and the exhaustion of populism

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 19, 2025
  • The Conservative leader’s antagonistic instincts may help him survive a leadership review, but they’re undermining his credibility as a national leader.

Pierre Poilievre and the exhaustion of populism

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 19, 2025
  • The Conservative leader’s antagonistic instincts may help him survive a leadership review, but they’re undermining his credibility as a national leader.
The anxieties Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre taps into—including crime, economic precarity, and housing—are real. But where substantive solutions are needed, he defaults to hashtags, columnist Bhagwant Sandhu writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget 2025 and the perfection of managerial politics

  • Mark Carney’s first budget displays the prime minister’s administrative instincts: control the narrative, project calm, and preserve credibility in bond markets. 
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 5, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s budget represents a perfection of managerial politics: continuity disguised as change, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget 2025 and the perfection of managerial politics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 5, 2025
  • Mark Carney’s first budget displays the prime minister’s administrative instincts: control the narrative, project calm, and preserve credibility in bond markets. 

Budget 2025 and the perfection of managerial politics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | November 5, 2025
  • Mark Carney’s first budget displays the prime minister’s administrative instincts: control the narrative, project calm, and preserve credibility in bond markets. 
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s budget represents a perfection of managerial politics: continuity disguised as change, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s budget challenge: govern for the many, or manage for the few?

  • The prime minister's first budget won’t be judged by the numbers, but by whom they lift up, and whom they leave behind.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 30, 2025
So far, Prime Minister Mark Carney has fixated on investor sentiment: walking back the capital gains tax hike, hinting at 'builder-friendly' tax cuts and capital access tools.

Carney’s budget challenge: govern for the many, or manage for the few?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 30, 2025
  • The prime minister's first budget won’t be judged by the numbers, but by whom they lift up, and whom they leave behind.

Carney’s budget challenge: govern for the many, or manage for the few?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 30, 2025
  • The prime minister's first budget won’t be judged by the numbers, but by whom they lift up, and whom they leave behind.
So far, Prime Minister Mark Carney has fixated on investor sentiment: walking back the capital gains tax hike, hinting at 'builder-friendly' tax cuts and capital access tools.

Anita Anand’s India challenge: engage without enabling

  • Re-engagement with India makes strategic sense. Without political accountability and institutional backbone, it risks repeating past failures.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 13, 2025
Anita Anand
Anita Anand
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's task isn’t to draft a flawless India policy, but to reinforce Canadian autonomy, backed by legislative and institutional muscle. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Anita Anand’s India challenge: engage without enabling

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 13, 2025
  • Re-engagement with India makes strategic sense. Without political accountability and institutional backbone, it risks repeating past failures.

Anita Anand’s India challenge: engage without enabling

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 13, 2025
  • Re-engagement with India makes strategic sense. Without political accountability and institutional backbone, it risks repeating past failures.
Anita Anand
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand's task isn’t to draft a flawless India policy, but to reinforce Canadian autonomy, backed by legislative and institutional muscle. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The challenge around AI is simple: anchor policy in public purpose

  • Ottawa risks chasing tech-fuelled illusions without building the governance architecture for an AI-driven future.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 1, 2025
Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon. If AI is to serve the public good, Ottawa must step up as a regulator. Anything less is legislative neglect, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The challenge around AI is simple: anchor policy in public purpose

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 1, 2025
  • Ottawa risks chasing tech-fuelled illusions without building the governance architecture for an AI-driven future.

The challenge around AI is simple: anchor policy in public purpose

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | October 1, 2025
  • Ottawa risks chasing tech-fuelled illusions without building the governance architecture for an AI-driven future.
Evan Solomon
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon. If AI is to serve the public good, Ottawa must step up as a regulator. Anything less is legislative neglect, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Freeland’s cabinet exit a lesson in high ideals and harsh politics

  • The envoy role may honour the Liberal MP's personal narrative, but it looks more like an escape from fiscal reckoning and waning political relevance.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 18, 2025
Chrystia Freeland, left, once defined Liberal foreign and fiscal policy, but she now departs as Prime Minister Mark Carney's special envoy for Ukraine with a title, but no institutional authority, Bhagwant Sandhu writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Freeland’s cabinet exit a lesson in high ideals and harsh politics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 18, 2025
  • The envoy role may honour the Liberal MP's personal narrative, but it looks more like an escape from fiscal reckoning and waning political relevance.

Freeland’s cabinet exit a lesson in high ideals and harsh politics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 18, 2025
  • The envoy role may honour the Liberal MP's personal narrative, but it looks more like an escape from fiscal reckoning and waning political relevance.
Chrystia Freeland, left, once defined Liberal foreign and fiscal policy, but she now departs as Prime Minister Mark Carney's special envoy for Ukraine with a title, but no institutional authority, Bhagwant Sandhu writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Gaza is testing Canada’s moral compass, and Carney’s credibility

  • As the UN debates Palestinian statehood on Sept. 22, the prime minister must decide whether to shape the conversation or to keep equivocating.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 15, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney should stop equivocating and act decisively by demanding a credible path for an immediate two-state solution, and voting for Palestine’s ascension to full UN membership, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Gaza is testing Canada’s moral compass, and Carney’s credibility

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 15, 2025
  • As the UN debates Palestinian statehood on Sept. 22, the prime minister must decide whether to shape the conversation or to keep equivocating.

Gaza is testing Canada’s moral compass, and Carney’s credibility

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 15, 2025
  • As the UN debates Palestinian statehood on Sept. 22, the prime minister must decide whether to shape the conversation or to keep equivocating.
Prime Minister Mark Carney should stop equivocating and act decisively by demanding a credible path for an immediate two-state solution, and voting for Palestine’s ascension to full UN membership, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada needs a South America strategy, not just a trade agenda

  • If Canada wants real influence in South America, it needs to ditch Trudeau’s U.S.-first legacy and rethink its diplomatic posture from Cuba to Colombia
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 1, 2025
Liberal MP Maninder Sidhu
Liberal MP Maninder Sidhu
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu's trips to Brazil and Colombia should act as a step to spur active diplomacy across South America The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada needs a South America strategy, not just a trade agenda

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 1, 2025
  • If Canada wants real influence in South America, it needs to ditch Trudeau’s U.S.-first legacy and rethink its diplomatic posture from Cuba to Colombia

Canada needs a South America strategy, not just a trade agenda

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | September 1, 2025
  • If Canada wants real influence in South America, it needs to ditch Trudeau’s U.S.-first legacy and rethink its diplomatic posture from Cuba to Colombia
Liberal MP Maninder Sidhu
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu's trips to Brazil and Colombia should act as a step to spur active diplomacy across South America The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

No place for Poilievre’s old politics against Liberal centre-right pivot

  • With the Carney Liberals occupying the centre-right, the Conservatives face a hard question: evolve to lead a changing Canada or stay stuck in a
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 20, 2025
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won the Aug. 18 Alberta byelection which will send him back to the House of Commons this fall. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

No place for Poilievre’s old politics against Liberal centre-right pivot

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 20, 2025
  • With the Carney Liberals occupying the centre-right, the Conservatives face a hard question: evolve to lead a changing Canada or stay stuck in a

No place for Poilievre’s old politics against Liberal centre-right pivot

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 20, 2025
  • With the Carney Liberals occupying the centre-right, the Conservatives face a hard question: evolve to lead a changing Canada or stay stuck in a
Pierre Poilievre
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won the Aug. 18 Alberta byelection which will send him back to the House of Commons this fall. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s trade talks demand transparency

  • Shifting deadlines may require discretion, but that’s no excuse to shield national decisions from democratic oversight and public scrutiny.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 11, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney doesn’t need to reveal the blow-by-blow of his negotiations with the American president—but he does need to speak plainly about what’s guiding his decisions, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s trade talks demand transparency

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 11, 2025
  • Shifting deadlines may require discretion, but that’s no excuse to shield national decisions from democratic oversight and public scrutiny.

Carney’s trade talks demand transparency

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | August 11, 2025
  • Shifting deadlines may require discretion, but that’s no excuse to shield national decisions from democratic oversight and public scrutiny.
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney doesn’t need to reveal the blow-by-blow of his negotiations with the American president—but he does need to speak plainly about what’s guiding his decisions, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The NDP leadership race: continuity, rupture, or reinvention?

  • As the party prepares for its March 2026 convention, the question isn’t who will lead but what purpose the NDP will serve in Canadian
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 23, 2025
Heather McPherson
Heather McPherson
NDP MP Heather McPherson is considering a leadership run. The party has to decide what it wants to be, in an era where political branding, not base-building, is the shortcut to survival, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The NDP leadership race: continuity, rupture, or reinvention?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 23, 2025
  • As the party prepares for its March 2026 convention, the question isn’t who will lead but what purpose the NDP will serve in Canadian

The NDP leadership race: continuity, rupture, or reinvention?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 23, 2025
  • As the party prepares for its March 2026 convention, the question isn’t who will lead but what purpose the NDP will serve in Canadian
Heather McPherson
NDP MP Heather McPherson is considering a leadership run. The party has to decide what it wants to be, in an era where political branding, not base-building, is the shortcut to survival, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s fiscal plans put the public service at risk

  • Austerity masked as modernization has a history. Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper offers the real lessons for navigating the balance between fiscal targets and
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 10, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney shouldn’t lean too heavily on his corporate background, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. Applying Bay Street’s quarterly logic of returns on capital investment to a 158-year-old civil service is a slow grind to institutional death. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s fiscal plans put the public service at risk

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 10, 2025
  • Austerity masked as modernization has a history. Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper offers the real lessons for navigating the balance between fiscal targets and

Carney’s fiscal plans put the public service at risk

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 10, 2025
  • Austerity masked as modernization has a history. Former Conservative PM Stephen Harper offers the real lessons for navigating the balance between fiscal targets and
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney shouldn’t lean too heavily on his corporate background, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. Applying Bay Street’s quarterly logic of returns on capital investment to a 158-year-old civil service is a slow grind to institutional death. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s China challenge requires a foreign policy reset

  • Ottawa won’t gain global independence by echoing Washington or isolating China. It’s time for selective engagement, grounded in Canadian interests.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 2, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney cannot let defence spending stand-in for a foreign policy strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu.

Carney’s China challenge requires a foreign policy reset

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 2, 2025
  • Ottawa won’t gain global independence by echoing Washington or isolating China. It’s time for selective engagement, grounded in Canadian interests.

Carney’s China challenge requires a foreign policy reset

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | July 2, 2025
  • Ottawa won’t gain global independence by echoing Washington or isolating China. It’s time for selective engagement, grounded in Canadian interests.
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney cannot let defence spending stand-in for a foreign policy strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu.

As the U.S. follows Israel into Iran, where is Canada’s voice?

  • Canada needs bold diplomacy, not cautious complicity, as the Middle East tilts toward a wider war.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 25, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
On the Middle East, Prime Minister Mark Carney is no ideologue, nor does he appear interested in his predecessor’s optics-heavy style. Carney seems more calibrated, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

As the U.S. follows Israel into Iran, where is Canada’s voice?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 25, 2025
  • Canada needs bold diplomacy, not cautious complicity, as the Middle East tilts toward a wider war.

As the U.S. follows Israel into Iran, where is Canada’s voice?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 25, 2025
  • Canada needs bold diplomacy, not cautious complicity, as the Middle East tilts toward a wider war.
Mark Carney
On the Middle East, Prime Minister Mark Carney is no ideologue, nor does he appear interested in his predecessor’s optics-heavy style. Carney seems more calibrated, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The high price of a handshake: Carney’s G7 Modi invite 

  • If Canada cannot draw a line at political assassination on its own soil, where will we draw one?
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 9, 2025
Canada's invite to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 is historic in the way political duplicities often are: low-key, deliberate, and draped in the language of pragmatic necessity, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The high price of a handshake: Carney’s G7 Modi invite 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 9, 2025
  • If Canada cannot draw a line at political assassination on its own soil, where will we draw one?

The high price of a handshake: Carney’s G7 Modi invite 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 9, 2025
  • If Canada cannot draw a line at political assassination on its own soil, where will we draw one?
Canada's invite to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 is historic in the way political duplicities often are: low-key, deliberate, and draped in the language of pragmatic necessity, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Canada’s G7 moment: rewrite the script or play along?

  • Mounting contradictions have dulled the G7’s edge. Canada can lead it toward revitalization—or be complicit in its decline.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 5, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
As the G7’s 2025 president, Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, can uphold the status quo or help redefine its resolve, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s G7 moment: rewrite the script or play along?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 5, 2025
  • Mounting contradictions have dulled the G7’s edge. Canada can lead it toward revitalization—or be complicit in its decline.

Canada’s G7 moment: rewrite the script or play along?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | June 5, 2025
  • Mounting contradictions have dulled the G7’s edge. Canada can lead it toward revitalization—or be complicit in its decline.
Mark Carney
As the G7’s 2025 president, Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, can uphold the status quo or help redefine its resolve, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

NDP identity crisis calls for a return to party’s roots

  • In losing official status, the NDP faces a hard test: does it remain tied to power politics or return to its social democratic origins?
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 28, 2025
Delegates vote on a resolution at the NDP's 2023 convention. With the goal of broadening the party’s appeal, NDP leadership has adopted the posture of Liberal centrism. The result is blurred lines, policy convergence, and disenchanted voters, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

NDP identity crisis calls for a return to party’s roots

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 28, 2025
  • In losing official status, the NDP faces a hard test: does it remain tied to power politics or return to its social democratic origins?

NDP identity crisis calls for a return to party’s roots

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 28, 2025
  • In losing official status, the NDP faces a hard test: does it remain tied to power politics or return to its social democratic origins?
Delegates vote on a resolution at the NDP's 2023 convention. With the goal of broadening the party’s appeal, NDP leadership has adopted the posture of Liberal centrism. The result is blurred lines, policy convergence, and disenchanted voters, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Message to Foreign Minister Anand: build doctrine, not optics

  • Anita Anand’s appointment as foreign affairs minister is a chance to end Canada’s drift and define a sovereign foreign policy rooted in purpose, not
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 15, 2025
Anita Anand
Anita Anand
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand brings a fresh face to a portfolio that badly needs direction, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Message to Foreign Minister Anand: build doctrine, not optics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 15, 2025
  • Anita Anand’s appointment as foreign affairs minister is a chance to end Canada’s drift and define a sovereign foreign policy rooted in purpose, not

Message to Foreign Minister Anand: build doctrine, not optics

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 15, 2025
  • Anita Anand’s appointment as foreign affairs minister is a chance to end Canada’s drift and define a sovereign foreign policy rooted in purpose, not
Anita Anand
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand brings a fresh face to a portfolio that badly needs direction, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre’s safe Alberta seat: a symbol of retreat or renewal?

  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s bid to re-enter the House of Commons through an Alberta byelection—after losing his longtime Ontario seat in Carleton—is about more
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 8, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's defeat in Carleton, Ont., reflects a deeper dissonance between his polarizing persona and what a growing share of the electorate expects from national leadership, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre’s safe Alberta seat: a symbol of retreat or renewal?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 8, 2025
  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s bid to re-enter the House of Commons through an Alberta byelection—after losing his longtime Ontario seat in Carleton—is about more

Poilievre’s safe Alberta seat: a symbol of retreat or renewal?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 8, 2025
  • OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s bid to re-enter the House of Commons through an Alberta byelection—after losing his longtime Ontario seat in Carleton—is about more
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's defeat in Carleton, Ont., reflects a deeper dissonance between his polarizing persona and what a growing share of the electorate expects from national leadership, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s first test isn’t Trump, it’s his cabinet

  • Power isn’t only about winning elections. It’s also about building a cabinet that can turn political ambition into actual results.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 1, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to supporters at the TD Centre in Ottawa on April 29, 2025, after winning the election. If his cabinet can’t deliver, nothing else will, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s first test isn’t Trump, it’s his cabinet

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 1, 2025
  • Power isn’t only about winning elections. It’s also about building a cabinet that can turn political ambition into actual results.

Carney’s first test isn’t Trump, it’s his cabinet

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | May 1, 2025
  • Power isn’t only about winning elections. It’s also about building a cabinet that can turn political ambition into actual results.
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to supporters at the TD Centre in Ottawa on April 29, 2025, after winning the election. If his cabinet can’t deliver, nothing else will, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Is Canada drifting towards a two-party trap? 

  • The 2025 election results reveal the dangers of narrowing choices in an era that demands broader solutions.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 29, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took a combined 85 per cent of the popular vote on April 28. That points to a two-party setup, which stifles innovation, intensifies polarization, and reduces politics to a zero-sum game, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and illustration by Joey Sabourin

Is Canada drifting towards a two-party trap? 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 29, 2025
  • The 2025 election results reveal the dangers of narrowing choices in an era that demands broader solutions.

Is Canada drifting towards a two-party trap? 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 29, 2025
  • The 2025 election results reveal the dangers of narrowing choices in an era that demands broader solutions.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took a combined 85 per cent of the popular vote on April 28. That points to a two-party setup, which stifles innovation, intensifies polarization, and reduces politics to a zero-sum game, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and illustration by Joey Sabourin

Tories and Grits spar over the political centre

  • The party that reclaims that space could define the future of Canadian politics. It's clear those who lead with a steady hand will define
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 17, 2025
With polls leaning in the Liberals' favour, voters are responding to the serious image offered by Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, in contrast to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's partisan theatrics, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and illustration by Naomi Wildeboer

Tories and Grits spar over the political centre

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 17, 2025
  • The party that reclaims that space could define the future of Canadian politics. It's clear those who lead with a steady hand will define

Tories and Grits spar over the political centre

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 17, 2025
  • The party that reclaims that space could define the future of Canadian politics. It's clear those who lead with a steady hand will define
With polls leaning in the Liberals' favour, voters are responding to the serious image offered by Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, in contrast to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's partisan theatrics, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and illustration by Naomi Wildeboer

Poilievre can win votes by exploiting Liberal foreign policy failures 

  • To turn the tables on Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre should highlight the Trudeau government’s record of aligning Canada too tightly to American geopolitical objectives. 
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 9, 2025
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's many foreign policy failures represent a Liberal record that his successor, Mark Carney, should be forced to defend, and which Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre can expose as part of his 'Canada First' strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Poilievre can win votes by exploiting Liberal foreign policy failures 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 9, 2025
  • To turn the tables on Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre should highlight the Trudeau government’s record of aligning Canada too tightly to American geopolitical objectives. 

Poilievre can win votes by exploiting Liberal foreign policy failures 

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | April 9, 2025
  • To turn the tables on Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre should highlight the Trudeau government’s record of aligning Canada too tightly to American geopolitical objectives. 
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's many foreign policy failures represent a Liberal record that his successor, Mark Carney, should be forced to defend, and which Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre can expose as part of his 'Canada First' strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Can Poilievre capitalize on Carney’s weak spots?

  • To derail Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upsurge, Conservatives must adjust their strategy—focusing on unity, the social safety net, and practical policies that confront America
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 19, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s team should adopt an approach that takes stock of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strengths and why he is clicking with Canadians, and then adjust their strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, Sam Garcia

Can Poilievre capitalize on Carney’s weak spots?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 19, 2025
  • To derail Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upsurge, Conservatives must adjust their strategy—focusing on unity, the social safety net, and practical policies that confront America

Can Poilievre capitalize on Carney’s weak spots?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 19, 2025
  • To derail Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upsurge, Conservatives must adjust their strategy—focusing on unity, the social safety net, and practical policies that confront America
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s team should adopt an approach that takes stock of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strengths and why he is clicking with Canadians, and then adjust their strategy, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, Sam Garcia

Carney vs. Poilievre: who will restore Canada’s global independence?

  • As U.S. President Donald Trump abandons Western alliances, our next prime minister must act decisively to secure Canada’s autonomy, and restore our global influence.
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 5, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, left, and Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney need to offer vision and foresight—qualities that seem to be in short supply in Canada’s hyper-partisan politics these days, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Carney vs. Poilievre: who will restore Canada’s global independence?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 5, 2025
  • As U.S. President Donald Trump abandons Western alliances, our next prime minister must act decisively to secure Canada’s autonomy, and restore our global influence.

Carney vs. Poilievre: who will restore Canada’s global independence?

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | March 5, 2025
  • As U.S. President Donald Trump abandons Western alliances, our next prime minister must act decisively to secure Canada’s autonomy, and restore our global influence.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, left, and Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney need to offer vision and foresight—qualities that seem to be in short supply in Canada’s hyper-partisan politics these days, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Party leaders should shift gears as Liberal popularity surges

  • Even with his ’Canada First’ rebrand, Pierre Poilievre’s clock is ticking. If he doesn’t shift gears soon, he might find himself watching the Liberals
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 19, 2025
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, left, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. A wholesale change in party leadership would be good for Canada, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Party leaders should shift gears as Liberal popularity surges

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 19, 2025
  • Even with his ’Canada First’ rebrand, Pierre Poilievre’s clock is ticking. If he doesn’t shift gears soon, he might find himself watching the Liberals

Party leaders should shift gears as Liberal popularity surges

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 19, 2025
  • Even with his ’Canada First’ rebrand, Pierre Poilievre’s clock is ticking. If he doesn’t shift gears soon, he might find himself watching the Liberals
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, left, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. A wholesale change in party leadership would be good for Canada, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Civil servants the unsung heroes steadying the ship against Trump’s tariff waves

  • OTTAWA—With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation, Parliament in prorogation, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre struggling to define a cohesive narrative for why
Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 5, 2025
Union members picket the old post office on April 25, 2023. Often-overlooked, public servants have kept the country’s public administration running smoothly with solid policy proposals to mitigate against shockwaves from the United States, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Civil servants the unsung heroes steadying the ship against Trump’s tariff waves

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 5, 2025
  • OTTAWA—With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation, Parliament in prorogation, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre struggling to define a cohesive narrative for why

Civil servants the unsung heroes steadying the ship against Trump’s tariff waves

Opinion | BY BHAGWANT SANDHU | February 5, 2025
  • OTTAWA—With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation, Parliament in prorogation, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre struggling to define a cohesive narrative for why
Union members picket the old post office on April 25, 2023. Often-overlooked, public servants have kept the country’s public administration running smoothly with solid policy proposals to mitigate against shockwaves from the United States, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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