On the Ledge - Your Ontario politics podcast - June 19, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Tim Hudak, Keith Leslie, John Wright, Kathleen Wynne This season finale of On the Ledge dives deep into Premier Doug Ford’s tumultuous week of unscripted rants and calculated risk. The panel unpacks Ford’s inflammatory comments on bail reform and “weak-kneed judges,” his car theft anecdote, and the problematic framing of First Nations relations ahead of a high-stakes Ring of Fire meeting. While Ford’s base s...
Jun 20, 2025•55 min
On the Ledge – Your Ontario Politics Podcast - June 12, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, John Wright, Keith Leslie This episode of On the Ledge confronts a deeply troubling issue: the lack of accountability and transparency following a violent assault involving Anwar Knight’s son at school. The discussion focuses on Knight’s public appeal for justice, after an 18-month struggle with school board officials, the police, and legal hurdles to get answers and action. He pos...
Jun 13, 2025•52 min
On the Ledge - June 5, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Tim Hudak, Kathleen Wynne, John Wright, Keith Leslie This week on On the Ledge, Dave Trafford and the panel dive deep into the fallout and implications of Ontario’s controversial Bill 5. With the legislature on summer break, the political temperature rises over Indigenous consultation, environmental oversight, and the Ford government’s legislative tactics. The conversation also ranges from pay raises and pensions for MPPs to the expectation...
Jun 05, 2025•55 min
Show Notes for On the Ledge – May 29, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Tim Hudak, Kathleen Wynne, Keith Leslie, John Wright Episode Summary: This week on On the Ledge, host Dave Trafford and the panel dive deep into Ontario’s Bill 5 and the mounting controversy surrounding its scope, timing, and lack of consultation—particularly with Indigenous communities. Kathleen Wynne calls it “a mess of this government’s own making,” while Tim Hudak views the push as necessary to unlock Ontario’s resource p...
May 31, 2025•1 hr 5 min
On the Ledge | May 23, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Tim Hudak (Partner, Counsel Public Affairs; former PC leader), Keith Leslie (CHCH political commentator), John Wright (Pollster and political analyst) In this episode of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford and guests dig into the political stories and policy debates dominating Ontario politics this week. From personal anecdotes about Catholic schools and long jump memories to a sharp analysis of legislative changes, the group covers a wide spectrum...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 2 min
On the Ledge – May 15, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Keith Leslie, John Wright, Tim Hudak (Kathleen Wynne sent regrets) In this episode of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford, Keith Leslie, John Wright, and Tim Hudak kick things off talking about the OTR Spring Fling at Queen's Park! Then they unpack Ontario’s budget day, dive into the affordability crisis, and explore how interprovincial cooperation and infrastructure expansion are key to Canada’s economic resilience. With Kathleen Wynne away, the p...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 11 min
On the Ledge -- May 8, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne (former Premier of Ontario), John Wright (founding pollster at On the Ledge), Keith Leslie (journalist, joining from Nova Scotia) Absent: Tim Hudak (former PC leader, expected back next week) This episode of On the Ledge revisits last week's fiery discussion on judicial independence and fairness in Canada's legal system, sparked by contrasting views on elected judges and bail reform. The panel expands the conversation into a ...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 7 min
On the Ledge – May 1, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, John Wright Episode Summary: In this week's fiery edition of On the Ledge, host Dave Trafford is joined by Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, and John Wright to unpack a turbulent week in Canadian conservative politics. The panel dissects the fallout from the recent federal election, including Jamil Jivani’s scathing remarks about Doug Ford, rising tensions between provincial and federal Conservatives, and speculation abou...
May 01, 2025•1 hr
On the Ledge – Special Election Edition Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Keith Leslie, Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, John Wright Summary: In this special post-election edition of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford convenes the panel to break down the federal election results. Keith Leslie, Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, and John Wright dive into what the Liberal minority outcome means for the country, why polling predictions missed key shifts, and how the ground game, turnout, and last-minute voter motivations sha...
Apr 29, 2025•49 min
Boomer Turnout, Betting Markets, and a Liberal Path to Victory On the Ledge – April 24, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne, John Wright, Keith Leslie, Amanda Galbraith (filling in for Tim Hudak) In this edition of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford and the panel dig into the final days of the federal campaign. With polling margins narrowing, the conversation pivots to the strategic implications of the NDP collapse, the Conservatives’ stalled momentum, and whether Mark Carney’s Liberals can...
Apr 25, 2025•57 min
On the Ledge – April 17, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, Keith Leslie, John Wright As Canadians look ahead to a long Easter weekend, the On the Ledge panel tackles the aftermath of the French-language leaders’ debate and the political blowback from the Ontario Place Therme spa deal. They analyze the debate performances of Carney, Poilievre, Singh, and Blanchet, with particular focus on tone, leadership posture, and policy signals—especially around energy, Indigenous c...
Apr 18, 2025•56 min
It must be Thursday! We're dealing with another round of tariff chaos courtesy of the Useful Idiot. On the Ledge : April 10, 2025 Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Kathleen Wynne, Keith Leslie, John Wright, Tim Hudak In this wide-ranging episode of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford and the panel dig into the volatile tariff landscape shaped by U.S. trade moves, its ripple effects on Canada, and how political leaders are responding. Broadcasting from Iqaluit , Trafford also introduces a new Arctic-focused po...
Apr 11, 2025•52 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast: Dave Trafford leads a dynamic roundtable with political veterans Tim Hudak , Keith Leslie , and John Wright , unpacking the seismic shifts in North American trade following Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement. From the economic aftershocks of “Liberation Day” to the potential realignment of Canadian politics, the panel delivers sharp, insightful analysis. The discussion touches on the targeted impacts of tariffs on Ontario and Que...
Apr 04, 2025•57 min
A Special Edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast. Host : Dave Trafford Guests : Lauren Bates – Chair, Ontario Caregiver Coalition Daniel Nowoselski – Advocacy Manager, Hospice Palliative Care (Canadian Cancer Society); Board Member, Ontario Caregiver Coalition Malene Stewart – Social Worker, Educator & Co-Chair, Caregiver Collective In this episode, Dave Trafford sits down with three passionate advocates who bring both professional expertise and deeply personal experience to...
Apr 03, 2025•32 min
The Useful Idiot is at it again. Whether he was simply trying to distract from the Signal App scandal in Washington or is Trump deliberately asserting himself into the federal election campaign in Canada, the 25% tariffs on the auto sector caught Doug Ford off guard. And it appears to be the final nail in the Can-Am relationship. In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast former Premier Kathleen Wynne, former PC leader Tim Hudak, and pollster John Wright join Dave Trafford t...
Mar 28, 2025•49 min
This is an OTL BONUS! Welcome to POLITICALLY SPEAKING. Three days into the federal election campaign in Canada and the latest polling aggregators have seat modelling suggesting Mark Carney's Liberals are in a position to win a strong majority. But hey! It's early yet. One thing we do know is it's shaping up to be a very close race between the Liberals and the Conservatives. Veteran pollster John Wright joins Dave Trafford to take the pulse on the popular opinion....
Mar 27, 2025•29 min
We'll be adding episodes of POLITICALLY SPEAKING for you here in the On the Ledge feed throughout the federal campaign! Hope you enjoy it. John Wrigth and Dave Trafford break down the details of the election call. Prime Minister Mark Carney has set April 28, 2025 as Election Day in Canada. AND...Donald Trump and his trade tariffs are THE BALLOT QUESTION. Who can handle Trump? Who can manage the cultural and economic angst of Canadians?
Mar 23, 2025•28 min
We're back with On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak, Queen's Park Commentator and broadcaster Keith Leslie, and our founding pollster John Wright are around the table with Story Studio Network's Chief Executive Producer Dave Trafford. Doug Ford and his "new" cabinet have been sworn in with a couple of new seating assignments but, for the most part, the same faces around the table. It's still the largest cabinet i...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Hello On the Ledge listener! Welcome to POLITICALLY SPEAKING on Now and Next. Former Bank of Canada Governor and self proclaimed political outsider, Mark Carney won't nearly 86% of the vote in his bid to be leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He set a new tone for the party while setting his sights on CPC Leader Pierre Polievre in anticipation of a soon-to-be-called federal election and he set the stage for the coming trade war with Donald Trump's America. Joining us around the table is forme...
Mar 11, 2025•54 min
We've arrived! It's the FINAL edition of the DAILY election edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast. Ontario has voted and given Doug Ford another strong majority mandate at Queen's Park. But the discussion got side-tracked by the latest GONG SHOW performance from the Oval Office. The screaming match among Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the crew wondering how the sheer chaos sets the tone for the tariff and trade negotiations between Wash...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: How, if at all, will the weather affect voter turnout, which is expected to be low? How quickly does Doug Ford need to get back to the business of governing, (assuming the polling trend doesn't turn upside down). Some seat models suggest the Liberals and NDP would win 17 seats each based on the latest polls? They'd both have official party status. Which party would be the Official Opposition? (HINT: Doug Ford could play a role in d...
Feb 27, 2025•53 min
John Wright, Lindsay Broadhead, Anne Marie Aikins and Bob Reid join the pod to do three things. Taking time to remember radio journalism legend Tayler Parnaby What's going on in Olivia Chow's office (if not her head?) How will Doug Ford manage what's shaping up to be a landslide majority?
Feb 26, 2025•51 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario election podcast, we're joined by Pedro Barata, President and CEO at Habitat for Humanity, Neil Hetherington, CEO at Daily Bread Food Bank and Gerard Kennedy, CEO at Enterprising for Good. (Neil's golden lab Charley also offers an opinion:) And we talk about the ramifications of the Ontario government's failure to get its arms around the growing housing crisis and the effects the US-Canada Trade war will have on the sector.
Feb 25, 2025•56 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario election podcast, Doug Ford releases his party's "costed" platform. It includes $40b in new spending, including a $5b Protect Ontario Account to fend off the effects of the Trump tariffs. But there's no indication where that money will come from. Meanwhile, Bonnie Crombie's campaign steps on a bilingual rake during a stop in the Ottawa area. The polls continue to suggest the Liberals are making gains at the expense of PCs and NDP. Could it hav...
Feb 25, 2025•46 min
We wrap the final full week on the campaign with former Toronto Mayor John Tory, former Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy, the Queen of Corp Comms Lindsay Broadhead and our resident/founding pollster are around the table for out 300th episode of On the Ledge! What does a hockey game have to do with the campaign on a day when Doug Ford's in Washington and the opposition parties release their costed platforms?
Feb 21, 2025•47 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario election podcast, we're joined by Public Affairs Consultant Bob Richardson, CH Television commentator Keith Leslie, Counsel Public Affairs Partner Tim Hudak, former Toronto Mayor John Tory and our founding pollster John Wright. With less than a week of campaigning to go, the question is which opposition party will emerge as the Official Opposition. Two weeks ago, there was some question whether the Liberals would gain official party status. Mo...
Feb 20, 2025•44 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario election podcast, we're joined by Monique Smith (Global Public Affairs), Lindsay Broadhead (Broadhead Communications) and Amanda Galbraith (Oyster Group). Question: How does a campaign keep volunteers and workers enthusiastic when it appears the Tories are going to run away with the election and there is still more than a week before election day? There are a number of polls suggesting the Liberals are improving at the expense of the NDP. Ques...
Feb 19, 2025•43 min
Only 9 more sleeps before Election Day in Ontario. In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario election campaign podcast, we're joined by Laura Babcock at Powergroup Communications, Public Affairs Consultant Bob Richardson, Former Deputy Mayor of Toronto Ana Bailao and Toronto Sun Columnist Brian Lilley. The crew says early assessments of the leaders' performances in the debate has shifted somewhat. The nearly immediate reviews post debate suggested Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie perform...
Feb 18, 2025•51 min
The second half our of On the Ledge DOUBLE HEADER included Deb Hutton from Newstalk 1010, Lindsay Broadhead - a member of our Now and Next C.A.S.T. (Comms and Strategy Team), Tim Hudak, Counsel Public Affairs, Keith Leslie, CH TV commentator and our resident pollster John Wright. Key takeaways: Doug Ford did what he had to do. He stayed out of trouble and won by "not losing" Bonnie Crombie came out hot...too hot? Marit Stiles and Mike Schreiner scored policy points but was it enough to move the ...
Feb 18, 2025•45 min
It's the first show on a DOUBLE HEADER day for On the Ledge! Tim Hudak, from Counsel Public Affairs, Monique Smith at Global Public Affairs and Keith Leslie, Queen's Park Commentator at CH Television join DT to set the table for the Leaders' Debate set to go later this evening.
Feb 17, 2025•26 min
