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Josie Sabatino

Josie Sabatino is a senior consultant at Summa Strategies. Prior to joining Summa, Sabatino spent nearly a decade as a Conservative political staffer, providing communications and issues management advice to Members of Parliament and the leader of the official opposition.

Canada faces a budget reckoning as deficit pressure mounts

  • Delivering a true austerity budget would require scaling back departmental budgets to a degree almost certain to spark political blowback.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | September 17, 2025
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne speaks with reporters in the West Block on June 19. With Parliament back in session, expectations are high for the Carney government’s first budget, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada faces a budget reckoning as deficit pressure mounts

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | September 17, 2025
  • Delivering a true austerity budget would require scaling back departmental budgets to a degree almost certain to spark political blowback.

Canada faces a budget reckoning as deficit pressure mounts

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | September 17, 2025
  • Delivering a true austerity budget would require scaling back departmental budgets to a degree almost certain to spark political blowback.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne speaks with reporters in the West Block on June 19. With Parliament back in session, expectations are high for the Carney government’s first budget, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre expands his message playbook as party preps for Parliament’s return

  • The Conservative defeat last election brings a new opportunity to move beyond the risk-averse messaging of a campaign, and seize the political moment.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | August 13, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his front-bench leadership team have spent the barbecue circuit testing a slew of messages in legacy media and alternative platforms, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre expands his message playbook as party preps for Parliament’s return

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | August 13, 2025
  • The Conservative defeat last election brings a new opportunity to move beyond the risk-averse messaging of a campaign, and seize the political moment.

Poilievre expands his message playbook as party preps for Parliament’s return

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | August 13, 2025
  • The Conservative defeat last election brings a new opportunity to move beyond the risk-averse messaging of a campaign, and seize the political moment.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his front-bench leadership team have spent the barbecue circuit testing a slew of messages in legacy media and alternative platforms, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney government’s quest for public service efficiencies will test its mettle

  • The summer months often provide a buffer from intense public scrutiny, but come fall, all eyes will be on the government as it unveils
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | July 16, 2025
The political honeymoon Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has enjoyed since the election may have left them unprepared for the strength of the opposition they now face, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney government’s quest for public service efficiencies will test its mettle

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | July 16, 2025
  • The summer months often provide a buffer from intense public scrutiny, but come fall, all eyes will be on the government as it unveils

Carney government’s quest for public service efficiencies will test its mettle

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | July 16, 2025
  • The summer months often provide a buffer from intense public scrutiny, but come fall, all eyes will be on the government as it unveils
The political honeymoon Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has enjoyed since the election may have left them unprepared for the strength of the opposition they now face, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s move-fast-and-break-things agenda requires a fiscal reality check

  • Change cannot come at the expense of transparency and accountability, and the new government would do well to remember that before it finds itself
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | June 18, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
There’s an early signal that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government may be willing to sidestep key accountability mechanisms that are essential to responsible governance, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s move-fast-and-break-things agenda requires a fiscal reality check

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | June 18, 2025
  • Change cannot come at the expense of transparency and accountability, and the new government would do well to remember that before it finds itself

Carney’s move-fast-and-break-things agenda requires a fiscal reality check

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | June 18, 2025
  • Change cannot come at the expense of transparency and accountability, and the new government would do well to remember that before it finds itself
Mark Carney
There’s an early signal that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government may be willing to sidestep key accountability mechanisms that are essential to responsible governance, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney sets the stage for consequential meeting with premiers after passing the Trump test

  • The prime minister must now prove that ‘experience’ is more than just a campaign slogan, and that he is prepared to unite a divided
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | May 14, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, will have an in-person meeting with Canada’s premiers in Saskatchewan on June 2. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney sets the stage for consequential meeting with premiers after passing the Trump test

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | May 14, 2025
  • The prime minister must now prove that ‘experience’ is more than just a campaign slogan, and that he is prepared to unite a divided

Carney sets the stage for consequential meeting with premiers after passing the Trump test

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | May 14, 2025
  • The prime minister must now prove that ‘experience’ is more than just a campaign slogan, and that he is prepared to unite a divided
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, will have an in-person meeting with Canada’s premiers in Saskatchewan on June 2. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What Conservative rally crowds reveal—and why it matters

  • Showcasing energized supporters at every stop serves not only as momentum-building, but also as a critical internal motivator for the thousands of volunteers.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | April 16, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, right, and wife Anaida attend a rally in Ottawa on Feb. 15. Local campaigns will be able to tap into this data to effectively convert voter intention into turnout, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

What Conservative rally crowds reveal—and why it matters

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | April 16, 2025
  • Showcasing energized supporters at every stop serves not only as momentum-building, but also as a critical internal motivator for the thousands of volunteers.

What Conservative rally crowds reveal—and why it matters

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | April 16, 2025
  • Showcasing energized supporters at every stop serves not only as momentum-building, but also as a critical internal motivator for the thousands of volunteers.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, right, and wife Anaida attend a rally in Ottawa on Feb. 15. Local campaigns will be able to tap into this data to effectively convert voter intention into turnout, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Fractured Canada-U.S. ties are the backdrop for new wedge issues and higher stakes in the next election

  • As we saw in 2021, timing and circumstances are crucial, as are the very real impacts of divisive policies.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | March 19, 2025
Both the Pierre Poilievre, left, Conservatives and the Mark Carney, right, Liberals will condemn the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump, but this is where their agreement ends, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, Sam Garcia, and courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons, illustration by The Hill Times’ Neena Singhal

Fractured Canada-U.S. ties are the backdrop for new wedge issues and higher stakes in the next election

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | March 19, 2025
  • As we saw in 2021, timing and circumstances are crucial, as are the very real impacts of divisive policies.

Fractured Canada-U.S. ties are the backdrop for new wedge issues and higher stakes in the next election

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | March 19, 2025
  • As we saw in 2021, timing and circumstances are crucial, as are the very real impacts of divisive policies.
Both the Pierre Poilievre, left, Conservatives and the Mark Carney, right, Liberals will condemn the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump, but this is where their agreement ends, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, Sam Garcia, and courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons, illustration by The Hill Times’ Neena Singhal

Poilievre’s ‘Canada First’ rally cry is a defining moment for Canadian conservatism

  • This neatly houses Pierre Poilievre’s domestic agenda while giving the Conservatives the flexibility to prove they are up to the task of fighting for
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | February 19, 2025
Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre
Part of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s success is directly attributable to his steadfast commitment to remaining disciplined, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Poilievre’s ‘Canada First’ rally cry is a defining moment for Canadian conservatism

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | February 19, 2025
  • This neatly houses Pierre Poilievre’s domestic agenda while giving the Conservatives the flexibility to prove they are up to the task of fighting for

Poilievre’s ‘Canada First’ rally cry is a defining moment for Canadian conservatism

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | February 19, 2025
  • This neatly houses Pierre Poilievre’s domestic agenda while giving the Conservatives the flexibility to prove they are up to the task of fighting for
Pierre Poilievre
Part of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s success is directly attributable to his steadfast commitment to remaining disciplined, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

From affordability to accountability: political leaders navigate the Trump era of chaos

  • While the country finds itself in a moment of crisis, watch for political messaging to start shifting.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | January 15, 2025
The shift has already begun in the provinces where premiers like Danielle Smith, left, and Doug Ford are spending significant political capital to fend off a trade war, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

From affordability to accountability: political leaders navigate the Trump era of chaos

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | January 15, 2025
  • While the country finds itself in a moment of crisis, watch for political messaging to start shifting.

From affordability to accountability: political leaders navigate the Trump era of chaos

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | January 15, 2025
  • While the country finds itself in a moment of crisis, watch for political messaging to start shifting.
The shift has already begun in the provinces where premiers like Danielle Smith, left, and Doug Ford are spending significant political capital to fend off a trade war, writes Josie Sabatino. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Holiday break unlikely to bring relief for the Trudeau government as election looms large

  • Expect a revival of the David-and-Goliath narrative to be dusted off and presented to Canadians.
Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | December 18, 2024
Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau
In Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mind, the choice between good and evil is playing out before the very eyes of Canadians. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Holiday break unlikely to bring relief for the Trudeau government as election looms large

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | December 18, 2024
  • Expect a revival of the David-and-Goliath narrative to be dusted off and presented to Canadians.

Holiday break unlikely to bring relief for the Trudeau government as election looms large

Opinion | BY JOSIE SABATINO | December 18, 2024
  • Expect a revival of the David-and-Goliath narrative to be dusted off and presented to Canadians.
Justin Trudeau
In Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mind, the choice between good and evil is playing out before the very eyes of Canadians. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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