There may be a glow of optimism on the horizon; there are more biceps being penetrated by needles; there are more vaccine doses "on the way". But we all have to be careful not to be doing a victory lap. As my dad would say, "Run through the tape". He was a sprinter in the day. You don't run to the finish line. You run through the finish line, through the tape. This week, we dive in on racism accusations in the ledge, a budget date, and TIm Hudak's task to breath life back into tourism.
Mar 15, 2021•28 min
The latest numbers from MaruBlue suggest the Trudeau government is getting a failing grade for it's handling of the COVID vaccine rollout. A majority of Canadians (57%) believe the Trudeau government has done a bad job in delivering vaccines to their province. Similarly, more than half of Ontarians believe the Ford government has done a bad job managing the vaccine rollout. These numbers come on the heels of scathing criticism of Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, David Williams, Health ...
Mar 04, 2021•28 min
As we were recording this episode, details of Dr. David Williams' testimony before the Long Term Care Commission were released to the media. Among other things, the transcripts indicate Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health said he saw no evidence that some PSWs were working in several homes or whether that could have contributed to outbreaks in phase one. There's also research suggesting case numbers and fatalities in for-profit homes were higher in phase two than in phase one. Oh ya,,,and ...
Feb 25, 2021•26 min
In this Back to the Ledge episode of On The Ledge, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford dive in on the latest COVID-19 developments at Queen's Park, the Ford government's Greenbelt expansion plan (that includes the construction of Highway 413??). We also note that Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath has the distinction of being the longest serving leader of a major political party in Canada. But a year from the next provincial campaign, it appears she and the NDP are on track to sli...
Feb 19, 2021•24 min
The accepted wisdom suggests long term care residents and healthcare workers should be at the front of the line when we finally get a COVID-19 vaccine approved. The logic is the elderly and frail are the most vulnerable and our healthcare workers punch the clock day in and day out in a petri dish that cultivates the virus. On the surface, this makes some sense. But, I only wonder whether we're looking down the wrong end of the telescope on this. The LTC residents aren't contracting COVID-19 simp...
Dec 03, 2020•28 min
One month before Christmas 2020 and Ontario's Auditor General dropped a lump of coal in Doug Ford's and David Williams' stockings. Bonnie Lysyk issued a scathing report on the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lysyk says the province was not only ill prepared, it failed to learn important lessons from the SARS crisis in 2003. And the AG said, in no uncertain terms, criticized Dr. Williams as the Chief Medical Officer of Health for not leading Ontario's response to COVID-19.
Nov 25, 2020•33 min
Every day, the province of Ontario is setting new records for COVID cases, hospitalizations or deaths. The pandemic is raging out of control and the lack of an action plan is obvious. Media questions are met by questions from public health authorities and playback responses from politicians promising to do everything, at all cost to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. Yet, neither mental health nor long term care received any new funding in the November 5th budget. Yet, both files are a top pr...
Nov 18, 2020•26 min
There are very few places on the planet where the number of COVID-19 cases isn't surging. Ontario is no exception. More than a month after moving the "hot spot" regions of Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa into a modified stage 2, the seven day average of daily cases has nearly doubled. As we mark the 8th month since the pandemic was declared, the question is: Who is in control of controlling COVID-19?
Nov 12, 2020•28 min
In keeping with the coming holiday season, Ontario's government has adopted a festive colour code to determine which municipalities get to open for business and which ones get coal in their stocking. The Ford government has presented yet another plan to tackle the spread of the coronavirus at time when the province is reporting record increases and a 7 day rolling average of 950 new cases per day. It means Ottawa, Peel and York will be able to return to what was Stage 3, allowing for indoor rest...
Nov 03, 2020•26 min
Another week, another lost opportunity for the Ford government at Queen's Park to present something that resembles a clear plan, let alone a message, on how we'll flatten this latest curve. The province has already moved restaurants, gyms and theatres in Toronto, Peel, Ottawa and York regions back to a modified version of Stage 2 - insisting the "numbers" indicate that's the best course of action without showing any numbers that suggest these business categories are the source of outbreaks or in...
Oct 28, 2020•29 min
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing back on criticism of his government's COVID-19 communications and public health guidance. Ford says "I don't think the guidelines can be any clearer." Really?? In this week's episode of On the Ledge, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford are joined by Melissa Lantsman. Melissa's not only the VP at Enterprise, she was the Tory war room director during the last provincial election campaign. She says the Ford government is running out of chances to get the...
Oct 21, 2020•27 min
Do you get the sense that we are feeling our way in the dark as the second wave of the pandemic comes crashing ashore? It's certainly the feeling the a number of industries have after Queen's Park decided to impose modified stage 2 restrictions on restaurants, gyms, performance centres in the Toronto, Peel and Ottawa regions. A ban on indoor dining, the closure of gyms, the cancellation of already restricted performance centres has left small businesses and not-for-profit groups grasping for fin...
Oct 14, 2020•27 min
The province's management of the COVID testing program has been just shy of a shit show. Reporting this week by the Toronto Star makes it pretty clear the Ontario government wasted its only opportunity to put a robust testing program in place during the summer months. It appears, for all the commitment to "do whatever it takes", the Ford government refused to spend the money to set up a complete testing system. That means establishing testing locations, establishing criteria for those who should...
Oct 08, 2020•25 min
Bad News: The second wave of COVID 19 has arrived. Good News: Fewer hospitalizations. Bad News: Ontario is setting new records for daily cases. Good News: Queen's Park has finally stepped up to protect Long Term Care homes. Bad News: 46 LTC homes report outbreaks. Good News: (stand by) Bad News: Hmmm...Seems we've run out of Good News.
Sep 30, 2020•27 min
The Fall Plan is being presented one step at a time. It includes preparations for flu season, COVID testing at select pharmacies and Premier Ford's constant plea to Health Canada to approve saliva tests. But does the plan also include a snap election? John Wright's latest numbers from Maru/Blue suggest Ford's approval rating is starting to dip as his government struggles to get the kids back to class. Oh ya! And whatever happened to the public inquiry into Long Term Care homes? Seems the commiss...
Sep 24, 2020•24 min
The Ontario legislature is back in business and so is our podcast, On The Ledge. Getting kids back to school this week was akin to building an aircraft in-flight. Class sizes are larger than expected. Teachers are still learning who, what and where they're teaching. And dozens of bus routes have been cancelled because of a driver shortage. John Wright is Executive Vice President of Maru/Blue Public Opinion. Keith Leslie is political commentator at CHCH News and the Hamilton Spectator. And Dave T...
Sep 16, 2020•26 min
The Ontario Liberal Party handed former Wynne minister Steven Del Duca a first ballot win and new business cards as the Leader of the provincial party. The governing Progressive Conservatives have already released online ads framing Del Duca as a continuation of Kathleen Wynne's politics and policies. Can Del Duca redefine himself? Can he redefine the provincial party? Can he raise the cash needed to take on the Tories in 2022? Can he recruit quality candidates to take on the Tories in 2022? And...
Mar 10, 2020•23 min
Listen to the declarations coming out of Washington about COVID-19 and it's clear that the Canadian response to the outbreak has been weeks ahead of the curve. Nonetheless, all of our preparedness for this strain of the coronavirus is not enough to inoculate us against the Trump administration's viral confusion and its effects on world markets. President Trump has appointed Vice President as the lead on the COVID-19 file but it's still not clear who is in charge. One thing we do know is the next...
Feb 29, 2020•34 min
At the time of this recording, the nationwide rail blockades continue with no end in sight. The prime minister admits there has been no progress in meaningful talks and told a Friday afternoon news conference it's time for the blockades to come down. What does that mean? There is no plan. There is no deadline. And there is no consequence for demonstrators if the blockades remain in place. Has he effectively downloaded this national crisis onto the provinces? ALSO this week: We introduce THE FRID...
Feb 21, 2020•34 min
The Christmas recess has wrapped up at Queen's Park, the legislature is back in session and there are more than a few pots at a rolling boil on the front burner. The labour standoff continues with all of the teachers' unions across the province. Rotating strikes continue and there appears to be no progress in this war of attrition. That strife will take up a good deal of oxygen as the session resumes but Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney will be front and centre presenting some major pub...
Feb 18, 2020•29 min
This is our 62nd episode of @OnTheLedgePcast and our final show for 2019. Our usual suspects, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford are here along with special guests John Michael McGrath and Steve Paikin from TVO's @theAgenda. John Michael and Steve also produce and host the #OnPoli podcast. Their show gets down in the weeds - whereas On The Ledge gets down in the mud! We will take a hiatus for a few weeks while the legislature takes its Christmas/winter break. So be sure to subscribe to ...
Dec 16, 2019•48 min
It's becoming clear that #sewergate in the City of Hamilton will not only be a municipal election issue in 2022, it will likely test the Steeltown MPPs running for re-election in two and a half years. Meanwhile, the ongoing standoff between the province and the teachers' unions is a point of aggravation and weariness for students and parents who face one day class disruptions - including one day walkouts by secondary school teachers. The On The Ledge team says the messaging from both sides is Sh...
Dec 09, 2019•36 min
Best estimates suggest 24 billion litres of raw sewage has been dumped into Chedoke Creek in Hamilton, Ontario. City council knew about the leak prior to the 2018 municipal election but it only came to light through recent reporting by the Hamilton Spectator. Laura Babcock, President of Powergroup Communications joins the On The Ledge panel this week. She says Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger has no option but to resign over the scandal. Meanwhile, public high school teachers across Ontario are p...
Dec 01, 2019•31 min
There were all kinds of predictions that Ontario Premier Doug Ford's meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be more of a stand off than a sit down. But that wasn't the case. All indications are Ford and Trudeau had a productive discussion and left the name calling on the campaign trail. And less than a month before school's out for the Christmas holiday break and, so far, it's been business as usual in the classroom while teachers' unions negotiate new contracts with the provincial gov...
Nov 24, 2019•30 min
Organized labour organized a demonstration outside MPP Donna Skelly's Hamilton office this past week - all because of a comment the premier made in response to a question from Skelly. Skelly basically teed up a friendly question and Doug Ford replied with friendly fire. The premier also made news when it was announced that Canada's premiers will be meeting in the GTA on December 2nd. It gives the provinces the chance to have a unified message in a unified voice before the federal government gets...
Nov 17, 2019•28 min
Is there a movement to draft Jane Philpott as a Liberal leadership candidate? Is it time for the New Democrats to replace Andrea Horwath? It’s nearly universally acknowledged that Ford Nation spent its time well during the five-month recess at Queen’s Park if, for no other reason than, it changed its tone and approach, finally shifting from “campaign” to “governing” mode. And the ON THE LEDGE panel says that’s made it more difficult for the opposition to lay a glove on the Tories. The question t...
Nov 09, 2019•20 min
Ontario’s Finance Minister Rod Phillips delivered the Fall Economic Statement in the legislature this week and it was criticized by the left and the right. The opposition NDP accuse the Ford government of making drastic cuts to programs and services while staunch conservatives shout about Ford spending more than the Kathleen Wynne government. Getting heat from both sides suggests to Phillips they got the balance just about right. They’ve added cash to health and education, focused on some tax re...
Nov 09, 2019•18 min
The Ontario legislature was back in business this past week after a nearly five month recess. Things kicked off with a "day of action" demonstration by public service unions but it wasn't as spirited as one may have expected. The ON THE LEDGE panel chalks that up to an obvious change of tone from Premier Doug Ford. There was some barbs in house during Question Period but there was a noticeable change in behaviour. Spectator could not only hear the questions, they could hear the answers. Premier ...
Nov 03, 2019•29 min
The federal election is in the rearview mirror and there have been a few Doug Ford sightings as the Ontario legislation prepares to get back to business. There is a noticeable change in tone from the Ontario premier but it's pretty clear that Ford's office is prepared to continue its war with the media. Keith Leslie says Ford remains in a bubble and is conducting public business behind closed doors. CTV Queen's Park Bureau Chief Colin D'Mello joins this week's edition of the On The Ledge Podcast
Oct 27, 2019•29 min
This is a special EXTRA edition of On the Ledge. John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford explore the question of leadership as an underlying ballot question in Canada's federal election. There are several provincial and regional issues that have surfaced during the federal campaign but they have only been "used to divide" Canadians rather than viewed as matters that require federal attention and leadership. There has been a presumption that this campaign was a referendum on Premier Doug Ford...
Oct 21, 2019•17 min
