The OShow with Laura Babcock

In her much-anticipated return to The OShow, Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP and Official Opposition to the Ford PC government, candidly sheds light on our province's pressing issues. From the urgent need for affordable housing and improved healthcare to Ford's controversies surrounding Ontario Place and the Greenbelt scandal, Marit remains unwavering in her pursuit of accountability in th...

In Ford's most disgusting and weakest move ever, the Premier told people suffering from his failed and cruel policies to get off their "ass" and get a job. Keith Leslie, Mark Cripps and host Laura Babcock hold Ford's feet to the fire for failing on housing, healthcare, his secret deals at Ontario Place, Science Centre and 413, his BS about bike lanes and seniors being abandoned by their families,...

Guy Felicella, Harm Reduction and Recovery Expert, responds to Premier Ford's stigmatizing people living in homelessness and his decision to close life-saving safe consumption sites. McMaster Researcher Gessie Stearns also joins host Laura Babcock to discuss alarming new death statistics among the unhoused population and what the City and Province need to do NOW. An independent podcast, the best w...

Amid harmful conspiracies about people being bussed into cities and politicians disagreeing on how to address the homelessness crisis, we spoke with Councillor Cameron Kroetsch of downtown Hamilton about potential solutions to save lives during the winter. This is a challenging and emotional conversation at a difficult time in Ontario and Canada, but there are solutions if we work together to figh...

How do we stop Ford's populist government from gaining another majority despite its alarming actions, such as closing safe consumption sites, laughing at MRI wait times, missing housing targets, shutting the Science Centre, being under RCMP investigation for the Greenbelt Scandal, needlessly cancelling booze contracts, and ruining Ontario Place, costing Ontario billions? Moreover, what impact will...

Living on $15,000 a year on ODSP, people are unable to afford food and rent, which can lead to homelessness. They also face issues like being charged new bus fares and not having accessible sidewalks in the winter. Tim Nolan, founder of Accessibility Hamilton Alliance, discussed these challenges with host Laura Babcock. They highlighted the need for policy solutions at the municipal and provincial...

For some reason, NDP leader Andrea Horwath attacked the Liberals in the last election, helping Doug Ford's PCs secure another majority. She then ran for Mayor of Hamilton. She has achieved almost nothing during her term, especially in the homelessness crisis. Former Citizen of the Year Graham Crawford analyzes her failure to act and the role of the Police, councillors, and the downtown entertainme...

What kind of Premier laughs at people waiting for life-saving MRIs and says they should go to a veterinarian instead? Promotes hot dog festivals when 3 in 200 people are experiencing homelessness? Underfunds services for at-need kids so badly their parents are surrendering them to foster care? Douglas Connors, Co-Host of the True North Eager Beaver Podcast, who was himself a Ward of the Province a...

Kojo Damptey of McMaster University is back on The OShow to warn about a cross-Canada tour coming to Hamilton and why Canadians everywhere should learn more about right-wing extremism in these dangerous times. Kojo also discusses how Black people are overrepresented in Hamilton Police Use of Force Data and the system changes needed to fix policing in Ontario. An independent podcast, the best way t...

In this in-depth and candid OShow appearance, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May gives a behind-the-scenes look into the Foreign Interference Scandal and how MPs act when the TV cameras are off. She urges Canadians to demand solutions from party leaders and not accept simple slogans like Axe the Tax. May explains how to tackle problems of the Climate Crisis, Equity, Affordability, and Fascism in our...

From a first-ever LCBO strike and cheesy Ford video about an interactive beer map to more attempts to justify closing the Ontario Science Centre, a Spa (casino) at Ontario Place, hiding phone logs, and the news of Ford's new mega cottage in Muskoka, the people of Ontario are being drowned in a deluge of propaganda and BS this summer. Where is the RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt? Where is the...

As the homelessness crisis in Canada grows daily, impacting hundreds of thousands of Canadians, including at-risk youth, seniors and refugees, Host Laura Babcock takes a deep dive into the causes and solutions with Skid Row CEO Joe Roberts, who experienced homelessness and walked across Canada with a shopping cart to raise awareness, and Tara Groves-Taylor CEO of Community Healthcaring Kitchener-W...

The bombshell announcement that the Ford government is closing the cherished Ontario Science Centre without notice has unleashed outrage across Ontario at a level not seen since the Greenbelt Scandal. Panellists Keith Leslie and Mark Cripps analyze Ford's latest scandalous decisions, the waste of taxpayer dollars on the Science Centre move, Ontario Place Spa, and cost overruns on the Ontario Line....

When policies are cruel to seniors and lead to their premature deaths just to benefit investors, it is truly horrifying. With Canada facing the "Silver Tsunami" of an aging population turning to privately-owned, for-profit long-term care facilities, Dr. Vivian Stamatopolous discusses with host Laura Babcock the shocking realities of new legislation in Smith's Alberta and Ford's Ontario. She emphas...

In this no-holds-barred interview, host Laura Babcock dives deep with Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, pressing on crucial issues. Nothing is off the table, from calling Premier Ford "Corrupt" to shedding light on scandals like Greenbelt, Ontario Place, Highway 413, Staples, Beer, Private Emails, Healthcare, Housing, and Education. The interview also explores Stiles's strategic approach to taking...

After creating the most expensive and massive cabinet in Ontario's history and taking an almost five-month vacation from accountability in Queen's Park, our Scandal Panel, consisting of Keith Leslie and Mark Cripps, addresses host Laura Babcock's question: "Does Doug Ford think he's King?" Their responses are disturbing as they cover the real reasons behind the 10 million dollar cabinet, the Gmail...

In this fast-paced and intense episode, renowned urbanist Gil Penalosa shares inspiring examples of urban planning from cities worldwide. He criticizes Doug Ford for wasting BILLIONS of people's money on projects like a casino at Ontario Place and subways. He calls out mediocre Mayors for lacking vision and political guts to plan for the future. He also calls on all citizens to speak up and demand...

With Ford's new legislation allowing land speculators to initiate their urban boundary reviews and the ongoing threat to the Greenbelt and 413 lands, Ian Borsuk of Environment Hamilton sounds the alarm about the catastrophic and irreversible environmental damage. He also discusses political opposition to a plan to help vulnerable people survive the sweltering summer heat. An independent podcast, t...

With the recent coverage in the New York Times, the fight to save Ontario Place from Ford's one billion tax dollar 95-year secret deal for a mega spa is trending again. Norm Di Pasquale from Ontario Place for All joins host Laura Babcock to talk about their lawsuit, the special Auditor General's report that may be coming soon and what all Ontarians can do to save this cherished public asset. An in...

On this fast-paced and powerful Scandal Panel, former journalists Keith Leslie and Mark Cripps join host Laura Babcock to break down Ontario Premier Ford's cynical scheme to spend up to a BILLION dollars to fast-track booze in convenience stores to profit his pals, get ahead of new explosive Greenbelt revelations and investigations, and Poilievre winning Federally so he can win another majority at...

New York Times Best-Selling author Linwood Barclay delves into the themes of his new bestseller, "I WILL RUIN YOU," with host Laura Babcock. They discuss book banning, combating ignorance and falsehoods, and supporting educators and teenagers. Lindwood humorously shares insights on axe-grinding, responding to critics and the business of writing. An independent podcast, the best way to support our...

Hilarity ensues when Canada's "dad" comedian and author Brittlestar talks toilet etiquette, life and death, Canadian identity, "woke" coffee lids, silly politics, Ford's foibles and how NOT to be a jerk! Enjoy this Long Weekend treat! An independent podcast, the best way to support our work is by subscribing. Let's build our pro democracy community! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

With death threats to his family and the decision by Liberal Member of Parliament Pam Damoff to leave politics altogether because of safety concerns, outspoken longtime NDP MP Charlie Angus takes on the fight against right-wing "politics of intimidation" and joins host Laura Babcock in calling out Pierre Poilievre to denounce the dangerous conspiracies, for the RCMP to have more tools to fight bac...

In this explosive episode of the OShow, Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Host Laura Babcock warn that democratic norms are being eroded by the rising tide of autocracy in Canada. They discuss Premiers Doug Ford and Danielle Smith's attempts to consolidate power and host Laura Babcock's Op-Ed in the Toronto Star about Pierre Poilievre's MAGA-Style rhetoric and plans to use the notwithstand...

The OShow is Canada's conversation on the issues we have in common, solutions and BOLD opinions. Host Laura Babcock is a powerhouse with a reputation for asking tough questions. A former journalist, PR veteran, and international pundit, Laura goes there. Join the conversation with Laura and her guests, including politicians, newsmakers, and activists. "When you want to be clear about what's going...