On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

The week, our On the Ledge crew got bigger! We're excited to add former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and former Ontario P.C. Leader Tim Hudak to the Roundtable with veteran pollster John Wright, Queen's Park Commentator Keith Leslie and Story Studio Network's Dave Trafford.  In this episode, the crew "digs" into Doug Ford's call for a Brampton-to-Markham tunnel under the 401. Is it just a back-o...

In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: John Wright says the Ford government may have won the battle but the union got a better deal than they demanded in the first place, despite a disastrous communications strategy Or...was the contract package already baked into the government's plans even before the workers walked off the job on July 5th? It was a long term win for Dou...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: Keith Leslie, John Wright and Dave Trafford lay bets on when the LCBO strike will end. The loser buys! Another report, another reason to "decommission" the Ontario Science Centre. It's become demolition by neglect. And we just can't avert our stateside gaze, rubbernecking the slow motion train wreck that is likely to end with...

In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford dissect the fallout from Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. Also, how does the outcome of the federal by-election in Toronto-St. Paul's affect the Ontario Liberal party? Does leader Bonnie Crombie barely see the PM or does she work closely with Justin Trudeau? A week after t...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: Keith Leslie, John Wright and Dave Trafford are around the table this Friday. And they start with a shout outs to Laura Babcock and the OShow! and to Sabrina Nanji at the Queen's Park Observer. Alright, now that we've taken attendance.. This week, Marit Stiles is set to light a ground fire at this weekend's Ontario NDP gatheri...

In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast. Keith Leslie, John Wright and Dave Trafford pick through the entrails of the suprise cabinet shuffle and Premier Ford's decision to recess the legislature for more than four months. Do they only serve to set the stage for an election call in the Spring of 2025? Is Stephen Lecces dancing a happy dance? And did Steve Clark sound like S...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast - Keith Leslie, John Wright and Dave Trafford weigh in on the 34 felony convictions for Donald Trump before turning to the games at Queen's Park. The Premier was commenting on the recent shooting at a Jewish school in Toronto and, in so doing, seemingly took aim at immigrants for the violence. "Enough is enough," said Ford. "Yo...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: It was a  classic Friday Dump! The Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend, the Ford government announces its intention to use an enhanced ministerial zoning order to cut the City of Toronto out of the planning process for Ontario Place. Also, the Ontario government 's defence of its third party ad restriction get a rou...

Ugly shirt season has begun! It's the Victoria Day Weekend edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! Keith Leslie, John Wright and Dave Trafford pay tribute to David Rider for his 14-plus years of service as the Toronto City Hall Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star. David's moving on to take on the role of Senior Political Reporter in the GTA! Well done!! Also, we dig in on some of th...

In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: So many QUESTIONS! The pollsters are at odds over what's weighing on the Ontario Liberals. Is it the lack lustre performance of the Trudeau government? Is it Ford Nation's ability to frame and define OLP leader Bonnie Crombie as the "Queen of the Carbon Tax"? Or is it simply an electorate that just isn't paying ANY attention to the m...

In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: We pick through the entrails of two by-election wins for the Progressive Conservatives. Two things are clear: There's no "call for change" at Queen's Park. Are we on the verge if the next Big Blue Machine era of politics in Ontario? If Bonnie Crombie couldn't muster enough attention, support or money to win the race in Milton, what d...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: We remember the legendary broadcaster Bob Cole and then dig in on the latest stories coming out of Queen's Park including: The Ford Nation reversal of the week. The fallout from the NOT GUILTY verdict in the trial of Umar Zumeer - accused of murdering Toronto police Det-Constable Jeffery Northrup. And would the premier serious...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: Happy 3rd birthday to Story Studio Network! Doug Ford goes on an operatic RANT about gas price hikes and manages to lay it all at the feet of Justin Trudeau and Bonnie Crombie! All four provincial party leaders want the Speaker to reverse his refusal to allow the keffiyeh to be worn in the legislature.  The housing file keeps...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politic podcast: We're joined by Tim Hudak, CEO at the Ontario Real Estate Association, tp talk about the housing initiatives annoucned at Queen's Park and in Ottawa this week. Tim says there've been some positive steps taken, such as increasing the amortization period and providing assistance for modular homes and apartment construction. Howev...

In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: It's been a busy "media week" for Doug Ford - making almost daily annoucements about government spending plans one week after the 2024 budget was tabled at Queen's Park. But announcements aside, the PCs are spending a good deal of time and political capital defining Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie as the Carbon Tax Queen and re-definin...

In this episode of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford tackle the Ontario budget, the rhetorical distraction that is the Carbon Tax, and remembering Roy McMurtry.  Ford Nation has coughed up another RECORD spending plan and, in so doing, have made it abundantly clear, budgets have become a nearly meaningless exercise. The rhetoric surrounding t...

In this edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast from Story Studio Network: Dave Trafford, John Wright and Keith Leslie get into the tangled debate around the carbon tax, its impact on the economy and everyday life. Will a three cent per litre increase at the gas pump really be noticed? How effective is the carbon tax in addressing climate change? The crowded agenda and competing pr...

In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast, The Ford government was patting itself on the back this week after announcing a Ring of Fire agreement with two First Nations on next steps to build a road into the environmentally sensitive, mineral rich region of Northern Ontario.  The announcement was long on self-congratulations but short on any commitment to ensure the project d...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast, The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney passed away February 29, 2024 at the age of 84. Mulroney served as Canada's 18th prime minister from 1984 to 1993. John Wright , Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford set Queen's Park aside this week and reflect on Mulroney's legacy and career. You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube...

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: Ford Nation is getting around to "getting it done" two years after running on the Tories' "git 'er dun" campaign that won them a majority government in June of 2022. Ontario's MPPs were back in the Ledge for the first time in 2024 following their long winter's nap, AKA the Christmas recess. Sabrina Nanji at the Queen's Park Ob...

This week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast - wraps up the fall session at Queen's Park with SSN's Chief Executive Producer, Dave Trafford, John Wright EVP at Maru Public Opinion and Keith Leslie, political commentator on CH television. There's A LOT to talk about including the government's lack of strategy in healthcare, the Auditor General's report, Bonnie Crombie's leade...

In this edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario politics podcast The Greenbelt is still a quagmire for Premier Ford's government but it's the fallout from the war in the middle east that fuels a growing concern in the legislature and, more particularly in NDP backrooms. Sarah Jama's censure by the majority government and expulsion from the New Democrat caucus continues to create challenges for part...

NEW: You can now leave us a RECORDED or TEXT message about anything you hear on the show. It's EASY. Click RECORD YOUR MESSAGE. Hit the RECORD button. Enter your name and email address so we can respond to your comment! And chances are you'll have something to say after listening to this edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario politics podcast. Keith Leslie and Sabrina Nanji are at the table and we...

In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast: Dave Trafford, John Wright and Keith Leslie read the entrails following a week where the three main parties at Queen's Park were hobbled by sel-inflicted wounds. The Ford government is already stuck in the Greenbelt quagmire. In the past week, the interim Auditor General has opened inquiries into the Therme land deal at Ontario Place...

In this edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast Keith Leslie (CH TV), John Wright (SVP Maru Public Opinion), Sabrina Nanji (QP Observer) and Dave Trafford (SSN Chief Executive Producer) weigh in on the latest in the Greenbelt Quagmire. As noted in last week's show, we were expecting, and recieved, a 7 thousand page document dump that did two things. First, it put Premier Doug Ford...