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

As political leaders squabble and the parliamentary systems seize up, federal bureaucrats are a stabilizing force helping weather the national crisis with well-crafted policies to counter Donald Trump’s trade-related attacks.

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

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 he matters anymore, Canada’s political landscape seems ripe for a freefall.

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