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Wednesday, June 25, 2025

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Susan Riley

Susan Riley is a veteran political columnist and regular contributor to The Hill Times.

Carney has energy to burn, that’s a problem

  • The federal government’s legislation encouraging the building of pipelines comes as wildfires in parts of British Columbia and Manitoba force residents to flee their
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 16, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa, Ont. on May 20, 2025, to head to a cabinet forum at Meech Lake, Que. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa, Ont. on May 20, 2025, to head to a cabinet forum at Meech Lake, Que. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s his recent talk of 'decarbonized oil' deals a near-fatal blow to climate hopes for his new government. No one who is serious about fighting climate change would parrot this ludicrous talking point, drawn directly from the oil and gas sector’s well-funded marketing department, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney has energy to burn, that’s a problem

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 16, 2025
  • The federal government’s legislation encouraging the building of pipelines comes as wildfires in parts of British Columbia and Manitoba force residents to flee their

Carney has energy to burn, that’s a problem

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 16, 2025
  • The federal government’s legislation encouraging the building of pipelines comes as wildfires in parts of British Columbia and Manitoba force residents to flee their
Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves the Prime Minister’s Office in Ottawa, Ont. on May 20, 2025, to head to a cabinet forum at Meech Lake, Que. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s his recent talk of 'decarbonized oil' deals a near-fatal blow to climate hopes for his new government. No one who is serious about fighting climate change would parrot this ludicrous talking point, drawn directly from the oil and gas sector’s well-funded marketing department, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Hurricane Carney blows into town

  • Mark Carney is also, at this early stage, a conundrum: a man who speaks in giant steps, but promises pragmatism.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 2, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Senate of Canada building in Ottawa to attend the Speech from the Throne on May 27, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Senate of Canada building in Ottawa to attend the Speech from the Throne on May 27, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa to attend the Throne Speech on May 27, 2025. He is so extraordinarily ambitious for this country, so focused, deliberate, and determined to do big things in record time, that it seems churlish to doubt him, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Hurricane Carney blows into town

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 2, 2025
  • Mark Carney is also, at this early stage, a conundrum: a man who speaks in giant steps, but promises pragmatism.

Hurricane Carney blows into town

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 2, 2025
  • Mark Carney is also, at this early stage, a conundrum: a man who speaks in giant steps, but promises pragmatism.
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Senate of Canada building in Ottawa to attend the Speech from the Throne on May 27, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the Senate of Canada Building in Ottawa to attend the Throne Speech on May 27, 2025. He is so extraordinarily ambitious for this country, so focused, deliberate, and determined to do big things in record time, that it seems churlish to doubt him, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney era begins: will the low-drama prime minister’s promise of ‘harmony and hard’ work prevail?

  • We will soon see how Carney manages in the fiery pit of partisan politics. Unfortunately, that pit is unavoidable. It is part of democracy,
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 25, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference in West Block on May 21, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney era begins: will the low-drama prime minister’s promise of ‘harmony and hard’ work prevail?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 25, 2025
  • We will soon see how Carney manages in the fiery pit of partisan politics. Unfortunately, that pit is unavoidable. It is part of democracy,

Carney era begins: will the low-drama prime minister’s promise of ‘harmony and hard’ work prevail?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 25, 2025
  • We will soon see how Carney manages in the fiery pit of partisan politics. Unfortunately, that pit is unavoidable. It is part of democracy,
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference in West Block on May 21, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Will Carney bow, bribe, and buckle to win over Danielle Smith? We know how that ends

  • Maybe, if this summer’s wildfires and other disruptions become bad enough, they will refocus public attention on climate and Mark Carney’s new government will
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 19, 2025
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
It took Alberta Premier Danielle Smith a nano-second (after her 'positive' first conversation with the new prime minister), to trash some of his new cabinet choices, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Will Carney bow, bribe, and buckle to win over Danielle Smith? We know how that ends

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 19, 2025
  • Maybe, if this summer’s wildfires and other disruptions become bad enough, they will refocus public attention on climate and Mark Carney’s new government will

Will Carney bow, bribe, and buckle to win over Danielle Smith? We know how that ends

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 19, 2025
  • Maybe, if this summer’s wildfires and other disruptions become bad enough, they will refocus public attention on climate and Mark Carney’s new government will
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
It took Alberta Premier Danielle Smith a nano-second (after her 'positive' first conversation with the new prime minister), to trash some of his new cabinet choices, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

All we are saying, is give peace a chance

  • Once the Trump business is resolved, will Poilievre’s troops return to attacks on wokeism, the legacy media, and the ideologically impure, even within their
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 5, 2025
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, right, and his wife Anaida arrive at the federal leaders' debate in Montréal, Que., on April 17, 2025. How our new political era unfolds largely depends on Poilievre's strategy, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

All we are saying, is give peace a chance

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 5, 2025
  • Once the Trump business is resolved, will Poilievre’s troops return to attacks on wokeism, the legacy media, and the ideologically impure, even within their

All we are saying, is give peace a chance

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 5, 2025
  • Once the Trump business is resolved, will Poilievre’s troops return to attacks on wokeism, the legacy media, and the ideologically impure, even within their
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, right, and his wife Anaida arrive at the federal leaders' debate in Montréal, Que., on April 17, 2025. How our new political era unfolds largely depends on Poilievre's strategy, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre: we’re just not that into him

  • Pierre Poilievre’s polished daily performances continue to be, primarily, laments for the sorry state of the country, extended complaints about the 'lost Liberal decade,'
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | April 14, 2025
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured March 4, 2025, on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Poilievre: we’re just not that into him

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | April 14, 2025
  • Pierre Poilievre’s polished daily performances continue to be, primarily, laments for the sorry state of the country, extended complaints about the 'lost Liberal decade,'

Poilievre: we’re just not that into him

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | April 14, 2025
  • Pierre Poilievre’s polished daily performances continue to be, primarily, laments for the sorry state of the country, extended complaints about the 'lost Liberal decade,'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured March 4, 2025, on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Bread, not circuses: dwindling appetite for politics as usual is helping Carney

  • If polls and general chatter are accurate, voters may be ready for more content, less contempt.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 31, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured March 23, 2025, after holding a press conference outside Rideau Hall in Ottawa after dissolving Parliament and calling an election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Bread, not circuses: dwindling appetite for politics as usual is helping Carney

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 31, 2025
  • If polls and general chatter are accurate, voters may be ready for more content, less contempt.

Bread, not circuses: dwindling appetite for politics as usual is helping Carney

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 31, 2025
  • If polls and general chatter are accurate, voters may be ready for more content, less contempt.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured March 23, 2025, after holding a press conference outside Rideau Hall in Ottawa after dissolving Parliament and calling an election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Who’s Tory now?

  • There is a new Liberal in town, a blue-suit Liberal, and all these ordinary concerns—although climate change is hardly trivial—seem to be set aside
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 17, 2025
Newly elected party leader Mark Carney arrives for the Liberal Party caucus meeting in West Block on March 10, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Newly elected party leader Mark Carney arrives for the Liberal Party caucus meeting in West Block on March 10, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Newly elected party leader Mark Carney arrives for the Liberal Party caucus meeting in the West Block on March 10, 2025. You don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. In Canada, it is blowing right, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Who’s Tory now?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 17, 2025
  • There is a new Liberal in town, a blue-suit Liberal, and all these ordinary concerns—although climate change is hardly trivial—seem to be set aside

Who’s Tory now?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 17, 2025
  • There is a new Liberal in town, a blue-suit Liberal, and all these ordinary concerns—although climate change is hardly trivial—seem to be set aside
Newly elected party leader Mark Carney arrives for the Liberal Party caucus meeting in West Block on March 10, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Newly elected party leader Mark Carney arrives for the Liberal Party caucus meeting in the West Block on March 10, 2025. You don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. In Canada, it is blowing right, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trump is coming: quick, build a pipeline!

  • Donald Trump is an all-purpose distraction, a threat on so many fronts, that concern about climate has been temporarily pushed aside. But people still
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 3, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney, picture in Montreal on Feb. 25, 2025. Dubbed 'Carbon-Tax Carney' by the Conservatives, Carney has rejected the consumer-based carbon tax that the Liberal government adopted, but failed to sell, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trump is coming: quick, build a pipeline!

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 3, 2025
  • Donald Trump is an all-purpose distraction, a threat on so many fronts, that concern about climate has been temporarily pushed aside. But people still

Trump is coming: quick, build a pipeline!

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 3, 2025
  • Donald Trump is an all-purpose distraction, a threat on so many fronts, that concern about climate has been temporarily pushed aside. But people still
Mark Carney
Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney, picture in Montreal on Feb. 25, 2025. Dubbed 'Carbon-Tax Carney' by the Conservatives, Carney has rejected the consumer-based carbon tax that the Liberal government adopted, but failed to sell, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The battle to be Canada’s flag-bearer

  • Canadians will continue to boycott U.S. products, cancel trips down south, drop Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV subscriptions, and wait for someone to lead
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 17, 2025
The race to be our national flag-bearer is tightening. Mark Carney, left, comes across as a sober, able, low-key manager, but he needs to turn up the volume. Pierre Poilievre is a snappy, energetic communicator, but he needs to tone down the hatred, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and Sam Garcia, illustration by Neena Singhal

The battle to be Canada’s flag-bearer

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 17, 2025
  • Canadians will continue to boycott U.S. products, cancel trips down south, drop Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV subscriptions, and wait for someone to lead

The battle to be Canada’s flag-bearer

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 17, 2025
  • Canadians will continue to boycott U.S. products, cancel trips down south, drop Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV subscriptions, and wait for someone to lead
The race to be our national flag-bearer is tightening. Mark Carney, left, comes across as a sober, able, low-key manager, but he needs to turn up the volume. Pierre Poilievre is a snappy, energetic communicator, but he needs to tone down the hatred, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and Sam Garcia, illustration by Neena Singhal

Trump defends continent’s sacred right to choke on our own smoke

  • A triumphant U.S. president set out a damaging and costly scenario last week: the reversal of all attempts to stop climate change and a
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 27, 2025
Donald Trump doesn't care about climate change, but Canada does have one important card to play. We could significantly reduce the 100-per-cent tariff it imposed on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and induce China to build some of their EV cars here, to get a toehold on a huge continent market, writes Susan Riley. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Trump defends continent’s sacred right to choke on our own smoke

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 27, 2025
  • A triumphant U.S. president set out a damaging and costly scenario last week: the reversal of all attempts to stop climate change and a

Trump defends continent’s sacred right to choke on our own smoke

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 27, 2025
  • A triumphant U.S. president set out a damaging and costly scenario last week: the reversal of all attempts to stop climate change and a
Donald Trump doesn't care about climate change, but Canada does have one important card to play. We could significantly reduce the 100-per-cent tariff it imposed on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and induce China to build some of their EV cars here, to get a toehold on a huge continent market, writes Susan Riley. Image courtesy of Pixabay

The race is on! Let it be merciful

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here is the choice facing the federal Liberal Party in this moment of national peril—and it needs to decide, pronto. In broad strokes:
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 13, 2025
The Liberals' placeholder candidate cannot be the genial Dominic LeBlanc, newly-minted finance minister and beloved party veteran, who has taken himself out of contention so he can attend to the business of the nation, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The race is on! Let it be merciful

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 13, 2025
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here is the choice facing the federal Liberal Party in this moment of national peril—and it needs to decide, pronto. In broad strokes:

The race is on! Let it be merciful

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 13, 2025
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here is the choice facing the federal Liberal Party in this moment of national peril—and it needs to decide, pronto. In broad strokes:
The Liberals' placeholder candidate cannot be the genial Dominic LeBlanc, newly-minted finance minister and beloved party veteran, who has taken himself out of contention so he can attend to the business of the nation, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau’s isolation and arrogance will be his undoing

  • Did Freeland's firing expose Trudeau as a fake feminist? To some, this is an irrefutable fact, but Trudeau has also humiliated male ministers, including
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 17, 2024
Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau addresses Liberal Party supporters at a Laurier Club fundraiser at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Dec. 16, 2024. There is something to be said for rising above the political weather bomb that hit the Hill this week, and 'reflecting' as Trudeau apparently assured his shell-shocked caucus that he would, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau’s isolation and arrogance will be his undoing

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 17, 2024
  • Did Freeland's firing expose Trudeau as a fake feminist? To some, this is an irrefutable fact, but Trudeau has also humiliated male ministers, including

Trudeau’s isolation and arrogance will be his undoing

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 17, 2024
  • Did Freeland's firing expose Trudeau as a fake feminist? To some, this is an irrefutable fact, but Trudeau has also humiliated male ministers, including
Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau addresses Liberal Party supporters at a Laurier Club fundraiser at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Dec. 16, 2024. There is something to be said for rising above the political weather bomb that hit the Hill this week, and 'reflecting' as Trudeau apparently assured his shell-shocked caucus that he would, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Are we happy? Are we supposed to be?

  • Economic gears have been grinding in unsettling ways since the pandemic, there are no quick fixes, and the first responsibility of any government should
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 9, 2024
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in announcing her government’s two-month GST holiday on certain goods and a $250 check for working Canadians in the spring—referred to the 'vibe-session,' a newly-coined phrase that refers to the divide between complicated economic reality and the way people are feeling. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Are we happy? Are we supposed to be?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 9, 2024
  • Economic gears have been grinding in unsettling ways since the pandemic, there are no quick fixes, and the first responsibility of any government should

Are we happy? Are we supposed to be?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 9, 2024
  • Economic gears have been grinding in unsettling ways since the pandemic, there are no quick fixes, and the first responsibility of any government should
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in announcing her government’s two-month GST holiday on certain goods and a $250 check for working Canadians in the spring—referred to the 'vibe-session,' a newly-coined phrase that refers to the divide between complicated economic reality and the way people are feeling. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Breaking: the CBC and our link to public broadcasting?

  • If this is public broadcasting’s last chance to save itself, it needs to move fast—and the majority of Canadians who, polls say, still support
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 25, 2024
CBC
CBC
More urgent than anything is the potential loss of CBC News. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is convinced—as have all Conservative leaders before him—that CBC reporters favour Liberals, and universally betray a socially liberal bias, writes Susan Riley.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Breaking: the CBC and our link to public broadcasting?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 25, 2024
  • If this is public broadcasting’s last chance to save itself, it needs to move fast—and the majority of Canadians who, polls say, still support

Breaking: the CBC and our link to public broadcasting?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 25, 2024
  • If this is public broadcasting’s last chance to save itself, it needs to move fast—and the majority of Canadians who, polls say, still support
CBC
More urgent than anything is the potential loss of CBC News. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is convinced—as have all Conservative leaders before him—that CBC reporters favour Liberals, and universally betray a socially liberal bias, writes Susan Riley.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trump, Trudeau and an ominous thunder

  • Donald Trump’s return will only make things worse. He's called climate change 'a scam,' EVs useless, and boasted that America 'has more liquid gold
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 11, 2024
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
The good news is that Donald Trump, pictured, will be gone for good in four years. It will be up to the next U.S. government to repair the devastation he leaves, or not, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Trump, Trudeau and an ominous thunder

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 11, 2024
  • Donald Trump’s return will only make things worse. He's called climate change 'a scam,' EVs useless, and boasted that America 'has more liquid gold

Trump, Trudeau and an ominous thunder

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 11, 2024
  • Donald Trump’s return will only make things worse. He's called climate change 'a scam,' EVs useless, and boasted that America 'has more liquid gold
Donald Trump
The good news is that Donald Trump, pictured, will be gone for good in four years. It will be up to the next U.S. government to repair the devastation he leaves, or not, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Meanwhile, on a planet far, far away

  • The enemy without—climate change, of course—is scratching at the window, unheard and ignored. In one way or another it’s coming for us all.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 28, 2024
David Eby, left, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Kamala Harris, David Rustad, Pierre Poilievre, and Danielle Smith. Politics is a thankless business, so perhaps we shouldn’t begrudge our leaders the fun they are having with issues like foreign interference, Trump’s admiration for Hitler, Rustad’s flirtations with crazy conspiracies, writes Riley. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Flickr/British Columbia Government and The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, illustration by Neena Singhal

Meanwhile, on a planet far, far away

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 28, 2024
  • The enemy without—climate change, of course—is scratching at the window, unheard and ignored. In one way or another it’s coming for us all.

Meanwhile, on a planet far, far away

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 28, 2024
  • The enemy without—climate change, of course—is scratching at the window, unheard and ignored. In one way or another it’s coming for us all.
David Eby, left, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Kamala Harris, David Rustad, Pierre Poilievre, and Danielle Smith. Politics is a thankless business, so perhaps we shouldn’t begrudge our leaders the fun they are having with issues like foreign interference, Trump’s admiration for Hitler, Rustad’s flirtations with crazy conspiracies, writes Riley. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Flickr/British Columbia Government and The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, illustration by Neena Singhal

Can we talk about Poilievre? Whether his harshness is impulsive or strategic, it’s invidious

  • Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair, who faced Poilievre in the Commons for 10 years, recalled: 'He has only one pitch: a hardball to the
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 14, 2024
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, left, is the latest public figure to face Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s lacerating criticism, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Can we talk about Poilievre? Whether his harshness is impulsive or strategic, it’s invidious

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 14, 2024
  • Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair, who faced Poilievre in the Commons for 10 years, recalled: 'He has only one pitch: a hardball to the

Can we talk about Poilievre? Whether his harshness is impulsive or strategic, it’s invidious

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 14, 2024
  • Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair, who faced Poilievre in the Commons for 10 years, recalled: 'He has only one pitch: a hardball to the
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, left, is the latest public figure to face Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s lacerating criticism, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

A diverse menu, but nothing appeals

  • The ideal prime minister would be someone with no political baggage, no embarrassing internet history, no ideological quirks, with razor-sharp debating skills, a sense
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 30, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. After years on the fringes of every consequential election in this country, perhaps the moment has finally come for 'none-of-the-above,' writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

A diverse menu, but nothing appeals

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 30, 2024
  • The ideal prime minister would be someone with no political baggage, no embarrassing internet history, no ideological quirks, with razor-sharp debating skills, a sense

A diverse menu, but nothing appeals

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 30, 2024
  • The ideal prime minister would be someone with no political baggage, no embarrassing internet history, no ideological quirks, with razor-sharp debating skills, a sense
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. After years on the fringes of every consequential election in this country, perhaps the moment has finally come for 'none-of-the-above,' writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Trade policy: where ideological purity goes to die

  • Protectionism is having a moment in the face of the off-shoring of jobs, shrinking middle-class incomes, growing inequality, and soaring corporate profits.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 26, 2024
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is expected to follow the United States in placing a punishing tariff on affordable Chinese EVs, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trade policy: where ideological purity goes to die

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 26, 2024
  • Protectionism is having a moment in the face of the off-shoring of jobs, shrinking middle-class incomes, growing inequality, and soaring corporate profits.

Trade policy: where ideological purity goes to die

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 26, 2024
  • Protectionism is having a moment in the face of the off-shoring of jobs, shrinking middle-class incomes, growing inequality, and soaring corporate profits.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is expected to follow the United States in placing a punishing tariff on affordable Chinese EVs, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Will the Harris bounce jump the border? If only

  • Kamala Harris hasn’t just revived a fretful Democratic Party, in the opening weeks of her presidential campaign, in her own country. Her arrival has
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 12, 2024
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris is like a breath of fresh air, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Will the Harris bounce jump the border? If only

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 12, 2024
  • Kamala Harris hasn’t just revived a fretful Democratic Party, in the opening weeks of her presidential campaign, in her own country. Her arrival has

Will the Harris bounce jump the border? If only

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 12, 2024
  • Kamala Harris hasn’t just revived a fretful Democratic Party, in the opening weeks of her presidential campaign, in her own country. Her arrival has
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris is like a breath of fresh air, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Pumping more oil while the house burns down: how long will the fantasy last?

  • Fossil fuels still hugely contribute to provincial coffers and the federal treasury, but too so would green energy alternatives if given a chance to
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 29, 2024
Last summer's forest fires in Alberta. With a few exceptions, our politicians are divided into two camps: the stout defenders of the oil and gas industry regardless of damage to the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions cause; or, those rhetorically committed to addressing climate change, but, maybe next decade, or in 2050. Photograph courtesy of Cpl. Marc-André Leclerc, DND Canada

Pumping more oil while the house burns down: how long will the fantasy last?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 29, 2024
  • Fossil fuels still hugely contribute to provincial coffers and the federal treasury, but too so would green energy alternatives if given a chance to

Pumping more oil while the house burns down: how long will the fantasy last?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 29, 2024
  • Fossil fuels still hugely contribute to provincial coffers and the federal treasury, but too so would green energy alternatives if given a chance to
Last summer's forest fires in Alberta. With a few exceptions, our politicians are divided into two camps: the stout defenders of the oil and gas industry regardless of damage to the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions cause; or, those rhetorically committed to addressing climate change, but, maybe next decade, or in 2050. Photograph courtesy of Cpl. Marc-André Leclerc, DND Canada

Who will be left standing in an uncertain political moment?

  • What does any leader do when the public mood is 'out with the old, in with the unthinkable'? And 'old' isn’t always a matter
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 15, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a bilateral meeting in Ottawa on March 24, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Who will be left standing in an uncertain political moment?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 15, 2024
  • What does any leader do when the public mood is 'out with the old, in with the unthinkable'? And 'old' isn’t always a matter

Who will be left standing in an uncertain political moment?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 15, 2024
  • What does any leader do when the public mood is 'out with the old, in with the unthinkable'? And 'old' isn’t always a matter
U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a bilateral meeting in Ottawa on March 24, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Happy Canada Day, everyone! Or is it?

  • This July 1 has some Canadians worried about the future and despondent about the present. 
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 1, 2024
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, centre, pictured on the Hill on April 16, 2024, with some of his Conservative MPs. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Happy Canada Day, everyone! Or is it?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 1, 2024
  • This July 1 has some Canadians worried about the future and despondent about the present. 

Happy Canada Day, everyone! Or is it?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 1, 2024
  • This July 1 has some Canadians worried about the future and despondent about the present. 
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, centre, pictured on the Hill on April 16, 2024, with some of his Conservative MPs. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Colonel Mustard with the knife in the Constituency? Maybe not

  • Elizabeth May's unexpected denouement left media, opposition parties, and the dysfunctional security apparatus looking like bit players in an Inspector Clouseau farce. The whole
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 17, 2024
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told reporters last week that 'There is no list of MPs who have shown disloyalty to Canada,' but said one former unnamed MP was a willing tool of Beijing. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Colonel Mustard with the knife in the Constituency? Maybe not

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 17, 2024
  • Elizabeth May's unexpected denouement left media, opposition parties, and the dysfunctional security apparatus looking like bit players in an Inspector Clouseau farce. The whole

Colonel Mustard with the knife in the Constituency? Maybe not

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 17, 2024
  • Elizabeth May's unexpected denouement left media, opposition parties, and the dysfunctional security apparatus looking like bit players in an Inspector Clouseau farce. The whole
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told reporters last week that 'There is no list of MPs who have shown disloyalty to Canada,' but said one former unnamed MP was a willing tool of Beijing. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Hey, Liberals! Why be shy? Isn’t it time to refute the disinformation?

  • Any attempts to dispute the cascade of falsehoods on X, many emanating from Pierre Poilievre, have been late, fitful and lost amid the background
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 3, 2024
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on the Hill on April 16, 2024. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Hey, Liberals! Why be shy? Isn’t it time to refute the disinformation?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 3, 2024
  • Any attempts to dispute the cascade of falsehoods on X, many emanating from Pierre Poilievre, have been late, fitful and lost amid the background

Hey, Liberals! Why be shy? Isn’t it time to refute the disinformation?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | June 3, 2024
  • Any attempts to dispute the cascade of falsehoods on X, many emanating from Pierre Poilievre, have been late, fitful and lost amid the background
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on the Hill on April 16, 2024. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Workin’ 9 to 5, that’s no way to make a livin’

  • Sending public servants into action to save a city from decades of bad urban planning is like dispatching the military to fill sandbags, or
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 13, 2024
Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward during PSAC's picket line in Ottawa on April 19, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Workin’ 9 to 5, that’s no way to make a livin’

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 13, 2024
  • Sending public servants into action to save a city from decades of bad urban planning is like dispatching the military to fill sandbags, or

Workin’ 9 to 5, that’s no way to make a livin’

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 13, 2024
  • Sending public servants into action to save a city from decades of bad urban planning is like dispatching the military to fill sandbags, or
Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward during PSAC's picket line in Ottawa on April 19, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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Trans Mountain pipeline will be Trudeau’s most ruinous legacy

  • The nearly-completed line is too big to fail and too buried in debt to make a profit before the climate catastrophe makes the conversation
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 17, 2023
Protesters against the federal government's bailout of Kinder Morgan and purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline on Parliament Hill in 2018. Buying the pipeline is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's most costly mistake, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trans Mountain pipeline will be Trudeau’s most ruinous legacy

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 17, 2023
  • The nearly-completed line is too big to fail and too buried in debt to make a profit before the climate catastrophe makes the conversation

Trans Mountain pipeline will be Trudeau’s most ruinous legacy

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 17, 2023
  • The nearly-completed line is too big to fail and too buried in debt to make a profit before the climate catastrophe makes the conversation
Protesters against the federal government's bailout of Kinder Morgan and purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline on Parliament Hill in 2018. Buying the pipeline is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's most costly mistake, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Dear Ottawa: pick a lane on climate and hit the accelerator

  • What the climate emergency demands is the same single-minded focus and dispatch that the federal government brought to its pandemic response.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 3, 2023
Project Arrow, a zero-emission concept vehicle, on display outside West Block on June 14. Since Canadian governments are afraid to impose production cuts, perhaps they should concentrate instead on diminishing consumer demand for fossil fuel products, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Dear Ottawa: pick a lane on climate and hit the accelerator

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 3, 2023
  • What the climate emergency demands is the same single-minded focus and dispatch that the federal government brought to its pandemic response.

Dear Ottawa: pick a lane on climate and hit the accelerator

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | July 3, 2023
  • What the climate emergency demands is the same single-minded focus and dispatch that the federal government brought to its pandemic response.
Project Arrow, a zero-emission concept vehicle, on display outside West Block on June 14. Since Canadian governments are afraid to impose production cuts, perhaps they should concentrate instead on diminishing consumer demand for fossil fuel products, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

No matter who forms government, oil and gas has won the Alberta election

  • Few Canadian political leaders are willing to challenge the still-profitable, immensely powerful oil and gas industry, which is at the heart of our climate
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 29, 2023
The oilsands, pictured in Fort McMurray, Alta. Climate change has barely been mentioned in the Alberta election campaign between Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party and Rachel Notley’s resurgent NDP, writes Susan Riley.  The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

No matter who forms government, oil and gas has won the Alberta election

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 29, 2023
  • Few Canadian political leaders are willing to challenge the still-profitable, immensely powerful oil and gas industry, which is at the heart of our climate

No matter who forms government, oil and gas has won the Alberta election

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 29, 2023
  • Few Canadian political leaders are willing to challenge the still-profitable, immensely powerful oil and gas industry, which is at the heart of our climate
The oilsands, pictured in Fort McMurray, Alta. Climate change has barely been mentioned in the Alberta election campaign between Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party and Rachel Notley’s resurgent NDP, writes Susan Riley.  The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Welcome to parliamentary pickleball, where the blame flies back and forth

  • This dynamic, this blame game, is not new to our politics, but it has never seemed this ridiculous.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 15, 2023
The back-and-forth in Question Period between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn’t get a single house built or toxic tailings pond leaks stopped, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade.

Welcome to parliamentary pickleball, where the blame flies back and forth

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 15, 2023
  • This dynamic, this blame game, is not new to our politics, but it has never seemed this ridiculous.

Welcome to parliamentary pickleball, where the blame flies back and forth

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 15, 2023
  • This dynamic, this blame game, is not new to our politics, but it has never seemed this ridiculous.
The back-and-forth in Question Period between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn’t get a single house built or toxic tailings pond leaks stopped, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade.

Pierre Poilievre: a working-class hero in his own mind

  • In the face of the Conservative leader's passionate, energetic retailing of half-truths and venom, what can progressive parties do? They can continue to insist
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 1, 2023
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre scrums with reporters on the Hill on Feb. 3, 2023. The usually even-tempered leader of the NDP hit the mark last week when he challenged Poilievre’s devotion to the proletariat, noting Conservatives voted against an excess profit tax (aimed at grocers) The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pierre Poilievre: a working-class hero in his own mind

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 1, 2023
  • In the face of the Conservative leader's passionate, energetic retailing of half-truths and venom, what can progressive parties do? They can continue to insist

Pierre Poilievre: a working-class hero in his own mind

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | May 1, 2023
  • In the face of the Conservative leader's passionate, energetic retailing of half-truths and venom, what can progressive parties do? They can continue to insist
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre scrums with reporters on the Hill on Feb. 3, 2023. The usually even-tempered leader of the NDP hit the mark last week when he challenged Poilievre’s devotion to the proletariat, noting Conservatives voted against an excess profit tax (aimed at grocers) The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

While fake scandals roil Ottawa politics, the real ones continue

  • A tailings pond full of toxic effluent has been leaking out of Imperial Oil’s Kearl project since last May and the company never bothered
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 20, 2023
Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault, pictured recently in a Hill scrum. The recent leak at Imperial's Kearl site, located about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, is only the tip of a much larger scandal: the power the fossil fuel industry continues to wield over the country’s governments and regulators, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

While fake scandals roil Ottawa politics, the real ones continue

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 20, 2023
  • A tailings pond full of toxic effluent has been leaking out of Imperial Oil’s Kearl project since last May and the company never bothered

While fake scandals roil Ottawa politics, the real ones continue

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 20, 2023
  • A tailings pond full of toxic effluent has been leaking out of Imperial Oil’s Kearl project since last May and the company never bothered
Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault, pictured recently in a Hill scrum. The recent leak at Imperial's Kearl site, located about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, is only the tip of a much larger scandal: the power the fossil fuel industry continues to wield over the country’s governments and regulators, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa plays Inspector Gadget

  • Some favour a formal, independent inquiry by an esteemed retired jurist into alleged Chinese interference in our last two federal elections but it, too,
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 6, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Is Canadian democracy in imminent danger of being undermined by shadowy operatives reporting to China's president? Nonsense, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy Wikimedia Commons and The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Ottawa plays Inspector Gadget

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 6, 2023
  • Some favour a formal, independent inquiry by an esteemed retired jurist into alleged Chinese interference in our last two federal elections but it, too,

Ottawa plays Inspector Gadget

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | March 6, 2023
  • Some favour a formal, independent inquiry by an esteemed retired jurist into alleged Chinese interference in our last two federal elections but it, too,
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Is Canadian democracy in imminent danger of being undermined by shadowy operatives reporting to China's president? Nonsense, writes Susan Riley. Photograph courtesy Wikimedia Commons and The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Have they no shame? No, but they have excuses

  • Politicians are not all bottom-feeding sleazes out to feather their own nests, but some are just simply too important. Excuse us if we stop
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 20, 2023
John Tory’s revelation that he had an affair with a younger staffer provoked a widespread shudder of disgust, especially among women. Ethics breach, or creepy behaviour? Beyond the public betrayal of his wife of 45 years, there was also the power imbalance, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Have they no shame? No, but they have excuses

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 20, 2023
  • Politicians are not all bottom-feeding sleazes out to feather their own nests, but some are just simply too important. Excuse us if we stop

Have they no shame? No, but they have excuses

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 20, 2023
  • Politicians are not all bottom-feeding sleazes out to feather their own nests, but some are just simply too important. Excuse us if we stop
John Tory’s revelation that he had an affair with a younger staffer provoked a widespread shudder of disgust, especially among women. Ethics breach, or creepy behaviour? Beyond the public betrayal of his wife of 45 years, there was also the power imbalance, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

As election looms, a full-time pursuit of the trivial takes over federal politics

  • The instances of seat-of-the-pants management and failure to anticipate change are so numerous, they raise a pertinent question: can our parliamentary system serve the
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 6, 2023
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, former ambassador Dominic Barton, and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet all grabbed headlines last week in time-wasting controversies, writes Susan Riley. Welcome to Ottawa, where every disagreement ends up as ammunition for someone. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

As election looms, a full-time pursuit of the trivial takes over federal politics

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 6, 2023
  • The instances of seat-of-the-pants management and failure to anticipate change are so numerous, they raise a pertinent question: can our parliamentary system serve the

As election looms, a full-time pursuit of the trivial takes over federal politics

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | February 6, 2023
  • The instances of seat-of-the-pants management and failure to anticipate change are so numerous, they raise a pertinent question: can our parliamentary system serve the
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, former ambassador Dominic Barton, and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet all grabbed headlines last week in time-wasting controversies, writes Susan Riley. Welcome to Ottawa, where every disagreement ends up as ammunition for someone. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Progressive Afghan women in dangerous limbo, while we wring our hands uselessly

  • Can Canada not, at least, rescue individual women, especially those who worked with Canadians on various women’s 'empowerment programs' during the war? You would
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 23, 2023
The group of MPs who have been working behind the scenes, includes Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, left, the Green Party's Elizabeth May, the NDP's Heather McPherson, the Conservatives' Alex Ruff and the Liberals' Marcus Powlowski and Leah Taylor Roy. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Progressive Afghan women in dangerous limbo, while we wring our hands uselessly

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 23, 2023
  • Can Canada not, at least, rescue individual women, especially those who worked with Canadians on various women’s 'empowerment programs' during the war? You would

Progressive Afghan women in dangerous limbo, while we wring our hands uselessly

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 23, 2023
  • Can Canada not, at least, rescue individual women, especially those who worked with Canadians on various women’s 'empowerment programs' during the war? You would
The group of MPs who have been working behind the scenes, includes Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, left, the Green Party's Elizabeth May, the NDP's Heather McPherson, the Conservatives' Alex Ruff and the Liberals' Marcus Powlowski and Leah Taylor Roy. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

One more year to stop talking, start acting, on reducing emissions

  • The ongoing war in Ukraine is a wrenching issue, so is the lack of affordable housing in major cities; and, the COVID crisis is
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 9, 2023
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, for instance, is supposed to be announcing the long-promised “just transition” plan in the coming months. This is intended to help oil and gas workers, mostly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, move to equally lucrative and engaging jobs in the burgeoning green energy sector. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

One more year to stop talking, start acting, on reducing emissions

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 9, 2023
  • The ongoing war in Ukraine is a wrenching issue, so is the lack of affordable housing in major cities; and, the COVID crisis is

One more year to stop talking, start acting, on reducing emissions

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | January 9, 2023
  • The ongoing war in Ukraine is a wrenching issue, so is the lack of affordable housing in major cities; and, the COVID crisis is
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, for instance, is supposed to be announcing the long-promised “just transition” plan in the coming months. This is intended to help oil and gas workers, mostly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, move to equally lucrative and engaging jobs in the burgeoning green energy sector. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

If politicians weren’t so snarly, more collegial, ratings might rebound

  • Has Question Period always been so joyless? Even if the show is free, there is only so much vitriol audiences can tolerate. A little
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 12, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. While every Parliament features ferocious rivalries, harsh personal attacks and outlandish accusations, some have also offered moments of humour, good-natured teasing, or simple acknowledgement of humanity across the aisle, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

If politicians weren’t so snarly, more collegial, ratings might rebound

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 12, 2022
  • Has Question Period always been so joyless? Even if the show is free, there is only so much vitriol audiences can tolerate. A little

If politicians weren’t so snarly, more collegial, ratings might rebound

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | December 12, 2022
  • Has Question Period always been so joyless? Even if the show is free, there is only so much vitriol audiences can tolerate. A little
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. While every Parliament features ferocious rivalries, harsh personal attacks and outlandish accusations, some have also offered moments of humour, good-natured teasing, or simple acknowledgement of humanity across the aisle, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Trudeau’s inscrutable China policy

  • It would be naive to believe that foreign governments don’t attempt to steal trade secrets, or undermine public trust in our democracy. For our
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 28, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured on Nov. 16, 2022, at the G20 in Bali, Indonesia. Xi chided Trudeau for 'leaked' discussions to the newspapers. Screen capture image courtesy of CBCNN

Trudeau’s inscrutable China policy

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 28, 2022
  • It would be naive to believe that foreign governments don’t attempt to steal trade secrets, or undermine public trust in our democracy. For our

Trudeau’s inscrutable China policy

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 28, 2022
  • It would be naive to believe that foreign governments don’t attempt to steal trade secrets, or undermine public trust in our democracy. For our
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured on Nov. 16, 2022, at the G20 in Bali, Indonesia. Xi chided Trudeau for 'leaked' discussions to the newspapers. Screen capture image courtesy of CBCNN

Trudeau ‘COPs out’ on the world climate stage

  • Perhaps Justin Trudeau thinks Canada has a better story to tell on biodiversity—although, this, like everything, is influenced by climate change. Or, when it
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 14, 2022
It is both striking and unsurprising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured taking questions from reporters on the Hill on Oct. 26, 2022, isn’t attending the latest international climate conference in Egypt, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau ‘COPs out’ on the world climate stage

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 14, 2022
  • Perhaps Justin Trudeau thinks Canada has a better story to tell on biodiversity—although, this, like everything, is influenced by climate change. Or, when it

Trudeau ‘COPs out’ on the world climate stage

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | November 14, 2022
  • Perhaps Justin Trudeau thinks Canada has a better story to tell on biodiversity—although, this, like everything, is influenced by climate change. Or, when it
It is both striking and unsurprising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured taking questions from reporters on the Hill on Oct. 26, 2022, isn’t attending the latest international climate conference in Egypt, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Inflationary rhetoric is as dangerous as the real thing

  • Nobody is uniquely responsible. How about moving beyond the futile, repetitive exchange of ideological antiquities to relief—at least for the most harshly affected.
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 31, 2022
At Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's well-attended press conference last week, he predicted a period of discomfort followed by a return to two per cent inflation by 2024 and a healthy and growing economy, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Inflationary rhetoric is as dangerous as the real thing

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 31, 2022
  • Nobody is uniquely responsible. How about moving beyond the futile, repetitive exchange of ideological antiquities to relief—at least for the most harshly affected.

Inflationary rhetoric is as dangerous as the real thing

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 31, 2022
  • Nobody is uniquely responsible. How about moving beyond the futile, repetitive exchange of ideological antiquities to relief—at least for the most harshly affected.
At Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's well-attended press conference last week, he predicted a period of discomfort followed by a return to two per cent inflation by 2024 and a healthy and growing economy, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Time to clean up our language 

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Political language has become so degraded that a gross betrayal of supporters, a shameless climbdown from previously embraced imperatives, the sudden disappearance of
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 17, 2022
Newly elected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured arriving at the Conservative national caucus meeting in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Sept. 12, 2022, with his wife Anaida and their son Cruz. It looks like a Poilievre 'pivot' on climate is inevitable—although it will be dressed up as a fairer, more equitable approach to containing emissions, not a complete policy reversal, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Time to clean up our language 

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 17, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Political language has become so degraded that a gross betrayal of supporters, a shameless climbdown from previously embraced imperatives, the sudden disappearance of

Time to clean up our language 

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 17, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Political language has become so degraded that a gross betrayal of supporters, a shameless climbdown from previously embraced imperatives, the sudden disappearance of
Newly elected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, pictured arriving at the Conservative national caucus meeting in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on Sept. 12, 2022, with his wife Anaida and their son Cruz. It looks like a Poilievre 'pivot' on climate is inevitable—although it will be dressed up as a fairer, more equitable approach to containing emissions, not a complete policy reversal, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Widespread labour shortages a growing economic, political, and moral tinderbox 

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—There is another storm brewing in Canada this season and it isn’t a hurricane. It is a broad and disruptive labour shortage that
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 3, 2022
There is another storm brewing in Canada this season and it isn’t a hurricane. It is a broad and disruptive labour shortage that is creating havoc everywhere, in our everyday life—and laying bare some troubling undercurrents, writes Susan Riley. The Hill TImes photograph by Andrew Meade

Widespread labour shortages a growing economic, political, and moral tinderbox 

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 3, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—There is another storm brewing in Canada this season and it isn’t a hurricane. It is a broad and disruptive labour shortage that

Widespread labour shortages a growing economic, political, and moral tinderbox 

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | October 3, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—There is another storm brewing in Canada this season and it isn’t a hurricane. It is a broad and disruptive labour shortage that
There is another storm brewing in Canada this season and it isn’t a hurricane. It is a broad and disruptive labour shortage that is creating havoc everywhere, in our everyday life—and laying bare some troubling undercurrents, writes Susan Riley. The Hill TImes photograph by Andrew Meade

Politicians won’t be caught dead agreeing, even when there’s common ground

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—This will come as a shock to many, but, looked at from a certain angle, our major federal parties—even premiers and municipal leaders—actually
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 19, 2022
Politicians, like the new Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, might be more productive if they admitted they actually do agree on certain basic points, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Politicians won’t be caught dead agreeing, even when there’s common ground

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 19, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—This will come as a shock to many, but, looked at from a certain angle, our major federal parties—even premiers and municipal leaders—actually

Politicians won’t be caught dead agreeing, even when there’s common ground

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 19, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—This will come as a shock to many, but, looked at from a certain angle, our major federal parties—even premiers and municipal leaders—actually
Politicians, like the new Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, might be more productive if they admitted they actually do agree on certain basic points, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A Poilievre Conservative leadership would be a test: is love really stronger than hate?

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here’s some “plain language” for the presumptive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has announced that all government communication must be comprehensible and direct
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 5, 2022
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has tapped into a deep vein of discontent that has arisen in part out of economic uncertainty. Screenshot courtesy of Pierre Poilievre/YouTube

A Poilievre Conservative leadership would be a test: is love really stronger than hate?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 5, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here’s some “plain language” for the presumptive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has announced that all government communication must be comprehensible and direct

A Poilievre Conservative leadership would be a test: is love really stronger than hate?

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | September 5, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Here’s some “plain language” for the presumptive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has announced that all government communication must be comprehensible and direct
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has tapped into a deep vein of discontent that has arisen in part out of economic uncertainty. Screenshot courtesy of Pierre Poilievre/YouTube

Federal fight against climate change stops at the oil patch

  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Is there anyone in Canada—anyone?—who believes that Justin Trudeau’s government is serious about tackling climate change? It seems unlikely, given the ongoing failure
Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 8, 2022
Oilsands, pictured in Fort McMurray, Alta., in 2008. How can Ottawa justify billion-dollar programs—to clean up orphan wells, capture fugitive methane emissions, underwrite the construction of $50-billion carbon capture projects of dubious effectiveness—when the industry has emerged from a seven-year downturn rolling in cash? It can’t. It shouldn’t bother trying, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Federal fight against climate change stops at the oil patch

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 8, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Is there anyone in Canada—anyone?—who believes that Justin Trudeau’s government is serious about tackling climate change? It seems unlikely, given the ongoing failure

Federal fight against climate change stops at the oil patch

Opinion | BY SUSAN RILEY | August 8, 2022
  • CHELSEA, QUE.—Is there anyone in Canada—anyone?—who believes that Justin Trudeau’s government is serious about tackling climate change? It seems unlikely, given the ongoing failure
Oilsands, pictured in Fort McMurray, Alta., in 2008. How can Ottawa justify billion-dollar programs—to clean up orphan wells, capture fugitive methane emissions, underwrite the construction of $50-billion carbon capture projects of dubious effectiveness—when the industry has emerged from a seven-year downturn rolling in cash? It can’t. It shouldn’t bother trying, writes Susan Riley. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

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