The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode: Dr. Hakam Bhullar’s Landmark Fight Against Regulatory Racism
Host: Mitch Carson
Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Mitch Carson welcomes Dr. Hakam Bhullar—a pioneering veterinary doctor, author, and activist whose relentless battle against systemic regulatory racism changed the face of professional regulation in Canada. Dr. Bhullar recounts his personal journey as an immigrant, the roots of his conflict with Canada's veterinary regulators, and the decade-long legal fight that ultimately proved systemic discrimination for the first time against a Canadian regulator. The conversation is raw, candid, and filled with lessons about justice, resilience, and the price of standing up for equity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Bhullar’s Background and Move to Canada

• Motivation for Immigration: Dr. Bhullar describes his childhood dream of moving from India to North America for greater opportunities and how he joined several friends in Canada (01:56).
• Early Career: After practicing in India and completing an internship at Iowa State University, Dr. Bhullar moved to Vancouver, opening his first animal clinic in 1995, later expanding to 24 hospitals (05:39).

The Shock of Regulatory Racism in Canada

• Initial Beliefs Shattered: Despite Canada’s reputation for politeness, Dr. Bhullar encountered severe systemic racism within the veterinary regulatory system (04:31).
• The Systemic Barriers: Dr. Bhullar explains how the veterinary college implemented a controversial spoken English exam almost impossible for immigrants to pass (09:27).
• Quote:

  “Out of 100% in test of spoken English, you cannot change your accent. You cannot get 100%.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (10:03)

Legal Battle: The Cost of Justice

The Human Rights Complaint Process

• Process Hurdles: The Canadian system restricted discrimination cases to Human Rights tribunals, which are slow, expensive, and lack legal teeth (05:14, 06:43).
• Personal Toll:
  • 356 days in court hearings (08:16).
  • Over $2 million in personal legal fees; parking alone totaled nearly $50,000 (08:44).
• Quote:

  “The lawyer's fee was $2 million... 356 days in the court, and the human rights have no teeth.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (08:45)

Resistance and Evidence Gathering

• Public Challenge: Dr. Bhullar publicly challenged the relevance of the English exam, offering $1.6 million to any regulator who could pass (10:34).
• Retaliation: The regulatory college began targeting Dr. Bhullar and other immigrant veterinarians with trumped-up charges (11:38).
• Quote:

  “Our fight started with money, actually, not with race. It turned into ratio [racial] later.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (13:41)

Undercover Operations and Uncovering Bias

• Undercover Tapes: Covert recordings revealed regulators making overtly racist remarks, showing clear bias and intent (16:18, 22:15).
• Infamous Quote from Regulator:

  “The wheels of the justice are slow and it’s gone are the days when we take a torch and warn them quicker way.”
  — Dr. Rob Ashburner (17:01)

• Public Exposure: These tapes, played in hearings and published by national media, became pivotal in demonstrating systemic discrimination (23:22).

Lasting Impact and Pyrrhic Victory

• Victory in Principle: After over a decade, Dr. Bhullar won his case; systemic racism was legally recognized in a regulatory body for the first time in Canada (27:02, 27:51).
• Minimal Compensation: Dr. Bhullar was only awarded $30,000 after spending more than $2 million in legal costs; regulatory perpetrators faced no personal consequences (35:31).

Personal and Family Toll

• Family Suffering:
  Dr. Bhullar’s children faced bullying and trauma at school after media coverage labeled him an “incompetent vet” during his deregistration (39:00).
• Quote:

  “My kids never told me from 2009 up to 2016... They suffered so much trauma at that time.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (40:13)

The Book and Continued Advocacy

• Upcoming Memoir:
  Dr. Bhullar’s book (releasing September 15) recounts the full saga, providing documentation, lessons for future generations, and guidance for silently suffering professionals (40:22, 46:14).
• Formats: Paperback and e-book, with plans for an audiobook (40:31).

Reflections on Goodness and Resilience

• Philosophical Outlook:
  Despite what he endured, Dr. Bhullar remains positive:

  “Usually say good, you know, because you have to be positive all the time. If there is a little bit of negativity in the brain that will take you different way.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (44:22)

• Family Achievement:
  All three of Dr. Bhullar’s children have advanced into successful medical and psychology careers (47:32).

Memorable Moments

• Turning Down a Million-Dollar Settlement:
  Dr. Bhullar was offered $1 million and his medical license back if he dropped the discrimination case. His wife insisted he reject the deal for the sake of justice (43:20).

  “If you do that, I think I have to divorce you.”
  — Dr. Bhullar quoting his wife (43:20)

• Standing Tall Against Taunts:
  Even when surrounded by shouting regulators vowing to end his career, Dr. Bhullar refused to back down:

  “I said, I will come back. You cannot stop me, buddy. I will come back.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (51:33)

Timestamps of Critical Segments

• Origins and Early Career: 01:56–05:39
• Discovery and Confrontation of Racism: 04:31–11:38
• Legal Struggles and Human Rights Process: 05:14–08:44
• Regulatory Retaliation and Financial Toll: 09:27–14:14
• Undercover Evidence of Racism: 16:18–24:44
• Victory and its Limitations: 27:02–37:48
• Impact on Family: 39:00–40:13
• About the Book & Professional Lessons: 40:22–47:28
• Reflection and Endurance: 44:22–45:51
• Final Stand and Integrity: 50:00–51:44

Notable Quotes & Speaker Attributions

• On the regulatory process:
  “You cannot go to Supreme Court because Supreme Court is going to say no, this is on the base of gender, equality, place, origin—you can go to human rights.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (06:54)

• On the root of the conflict:
  “Our fight also started with money. Actually, not started with race. It started with money. It turned into ratio [racial] later.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (13:49)

• When offered a million-dollar settlement:
  “If you do that, I think I have to divorce you.”
  — Dr. Bhullar quoting his wife (43:20)

• After being shouted at by regulators:
  “I said, I will come back. You cannot stop me, buddy. You cannot stop me coming back.”
  — Dr. Bhullar (51:33)

Podcast Tone & Dynamics

• The tone is forthright, sometimes humorous despite the ordeal, with Mitch Carson’s robust, supportive energy drawing out the full story. Dr. Bhullar is candid, resilient, and passionate, emphasizing justice, family, and legacy above monetary or personal gain.

Summary Takeaways

• Dr. Bhullar’s case established landmark proof of systemic racism by a professional regulator in Canada, making international legal history.
• The fight cost millions, took emotional tolls, and yet yielded minimal direct compensation and no sanctions against perpetrators—exposing flaws in the Canadian human rights system.
• Dr. Bhullar’s experience—now documented in his forthcoming book—serves as both a cautionary tale and a blueprint for professionals facing discrimination, advocating vigilance, evidence collection, and collective action.
• Endurance, family support, and refusal to compromise core values defined his victory, inspiring others to challenge injustice not just for themselves, but the generations that follow.