Wag The Doug

Doug Ford is getting ready for next year's election by increasing donation limits, shuffling his cabinet, and overriding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to pass a law limiting the criticism he'll face. This sudden bonfire of political capital has our hosts wondering: given the state of Ontario's opposition parties, just what is Ford so afraid of? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

In Doug Ford's Ontario, there's no problem that can't be solved by giving police new powers. This time, the issue is human trafficking— which, well that makes sense, right? The reality is far more complicated. Allison and Jonathan talk to Elene Lam of Butterfly , the Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network, who explains how the government's new Bill 251 will actually cause harm to vuln...

With the pandemic reaching new levels of crisis each day, and public anger at the government rising in proportion, how has Doug Ford chosen to spend his evenings? Fundraising! The Ontario PCs have built an enormously effective big-money operation and just passed a new law to entrench it. Allison and Jonathan explore the ways the party collects cash — and how such contributions appear to info...

The GTA has become the site of a massive tow truck turf war. Vehicles have been fire-bombed, a law office has been shot up, and cops face criminal charges for their involvement. And the person in charge of reining in the violence and corruption? Doug Ford. Allison and Jonathan talk with Peter Edwards, the  Toronto Star 's organized crime reporter, who explains how this tow truck tumult p...

Laurentian University has filed for creditor protection, while another, opening this fall, has attracted just 47 applicants. What is going on with Ontario's postsecondary sector? And what can the premier's own brief college experience tell us about his government's peculiar approach? Allison and Jonathan also talk to Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, about how the whol...

It's the second annual Douggie Awards, where Allison and Jonathan take stock of all the hilarity and abject horror that was the Year in Ford. Who carries home the trophies for “Best Sycophant,” “Most Surreal Moment,” and the always-popular “Most Blatant Conflict of Interest”? Take a stroll down the shoddily constructed blue carpet and join us as we celebrate the...

Doug Ford vowed that those who couldn't afford rent during the pandemic wouldn't lose their homes. Instead, he made evictions easier than ever. And now, thanks to online hearings, the bleak indifference of that process is on display for all. Allison and Jonathan look at what it means when housing is chiefly seen as an investment, not a right, and how the province has doubled down on facilitating s...

Except when they're investigating members of his family, Doug Ford really loves the police. So much so that, earlier this year, when calls for defunding became inescapable, he responded by giving them  more  money. In this episode, Allison and Jonathan look at his government's record on policing, and the extent to which it has and hasn't reversed recent attempts at reform. They also talk...

It's crowdfunding month! Support us at canadaland.com/join . To be caught off guard by Covid's first wave was misfortunate. To be caught off guard by its second looks like carelessness. Allison and Jonathan look at how Doug Ford's bungling of the pandemic's resurgence has squandered any earlier benefit of the doubt. And they talk to Dr. David Fisman , a U of T epidemiologist, whose pointed online...

Support us here:  WagtheDoug.com    With large swaths of the continent on fire, we look at how Doug Ford's government recently took a torch to environmental regulations under the guise of a “Covid-19 Economic Recovery Act.” Jonathan and Allison speak with Greenpeace lawyer Priyanka Vittal, who's leading one of the lawsuits against the changes. And in examining what the g...

Support us here: WagtheDoug.com Following a five-month hiatus, Wag the Doug reemerges into a whole new world — one in which Doug Ford is somehow… broadly popular? Allison and Jonathan try to figure out what happened. Has the premier really improved? Or is there something else at work?  CORRECTION: In this episode, co-host Allison Smith states that “the provincial debt is po...

Doug Ford has been widely commended for his response to COVID-19. Are people just looking for comfort or has the crisis truly brought out the best in the Premier?   This show is supported by listeners. If you like it, please consider supporting us at Patreon.com/canadaland . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new investigative series about the cocaine smuggling ring inside Vice Media.   To hear episode 2 right now, subscribe to Cool Mules.   Or get all six episodes ad-free for $5/month by clicking here .  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Ford has announced that the 2022 campaign has begun and the Liberals are currently polling as his top rivals, despite being decimated in the last election. We visit the final debate for Liberal Party leadership to see who will take on the Premier.   Plus, a review of Run This Town, a movie that’s about Rob Ford, but is also sort of about Jonathan Goldsbie. Run This Town will be released in se...

After a decade of planning and $110 million spent, the Ford Government abruptly cancelled Hamilton’s LRT, leaving empty buildings and questions about the city’s future in its wake. Was it just a line item? Ballooning costs? Or political sabotage in an NDP town? Featured in this episode: Hamilton city councillors Nrinder Nann and Maureen Wilson, and longtime Queen’s Park watcher Keith Leslie. See o...

The Auditor General has released her annual report, scrutinizing the government's spending on everything from prisons to horse racing. We dig through it to bring you the 10 fascinating things we learned. And Doug Ford begins his unity tour. CORRECTION: The NDP's critic of OLG and horse racing is Percy Hatfield, not Wayne Gates as stated in the show. However, Wayne Gates did provide the quote that...

We dive deep into the past, present and future of Ontario News Now, the PC Party's online faux-news outlet. Is it dangerous propaganda or harmless government cheerleading? Plus, is Doug Ford finally playing nice? And do the PCs have their own version of a gas plant scandal brewing? This podcast exists because of listener support. If you want it to keep going, please support us at Patreon.com/canad...

Our colleagues at COMMONS have a new season of their podcast called DYNASTIES, all about the powerful families that run Canada. Today, we're sharing their episode about the rise of the Fords.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justin Trudeau won't stop saying "Doug Ford" while Andrew Scheer is going to absurd lengths to avoid acknowledging the Ontario Premier's existence whatsoever. We take a look at how Doug is playing a role in the federal election. Get tickets here to see us live at the Hot Docs Podcast Festival. This show is supported by listeners. Please consider supporting us at Patreon.com/CANADALAND See omnystud...

While the public has loudly protested funding cuts to areas like education and autism support, cuts to arts and culture have gotten less attention. So how are the arts doing under the Ford Government? Where is this government cutting and what are they supporting? And finally... what art does Doug Ford actually like? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

With a new Cabinet in place and ongoing allegations of nepotism in the Ontario government, we present to you: The Doug Ford Guide to Management.   Plus, we play everyone's favourite political patronage game, "Guess The Relation."   If you like this show, please consider supporting us on Patreon . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Tonight, we gather to honour the Doug Ford Government a year into their historic mandate. Our hosts hand out the much-coveted Douggie Awards to those who have shown tremendous achievements in spin, bootlicking and dramatically miming the hunt for beer in convenience stores. Join us for this unforgettable evening.   This episode is sponsored by Penguin Random House Canada .  See omnystudio.com/list...

In the month since the budget was released, we've gotten a lot more details about the Ford Government’s cuts. The environment is one area that's been hit hard, with plans to murder some baby trees, make it easier to kill endangered species', and fight the carbon tax with the most powerful tool on earth: stickers.   We enter the world of commercial talk radio to see what some of Ford’s biggest chee...

The Ford Government's first budget is out. They call it "Protecting What Matters Most." We spend eight hours locked in a room with bureaucrats, reporters and cheap pizza to find out what exactly does matter most to Doug, once you put a dollar sign on it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plus, the one he fulfilled that blew up in his face. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.