In this episode of On the Ledge - your DAILY Ontario politics podcast, we're joined by Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington, Sheila Regehr from the Basic Income Network and pollster, John Wright. It's clear the trade war with the US is going to have a serious effect on Canada's economy. That's going to mean lost businesses, lost jobs, lost productivity. But the costs go beyond employment numbers. It's likely we'll see another sharp increase in the number of working poor and more Canadians...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr
In this episode of On the Ledge - your Daily Ontario politics podcast: The Grits appear to be making some gains at the expense of the New Democrats. But it's not just based on the polling. We're joined by John Tory, Amanda Galbraith, Keith Leslie and our resident pollster John Wright to take the pulse on the pulse of the campaign. There is some thought that the federal Liberal leadership campaign is providing some lift for Bonnie Crombie's campaign - particularly in urban centres. And how many 5...
Feb 13, 2025•51 min
Today's episode of On the Ledge - the DAILY EDITION features the insights of our C.A.S.T. (Comms and Strategy Team) Lindsay Broadhead, Brad Ross, Anne Marie Aikins and Bob Reid. the team breaks down the latest developments in the Ontario election, including Doug Ford’s messaging strategy in Washington, Bonnie Crombie’s efforts to gain momentum, and the NDP’s struggle to keep up. Despite the best (?) efforts of the NDP and Liberals, tariffs are still the defining campaign issue. And the latest po...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast - the DAILY EDITION: We're joined by Laura Babcock, Gerard Kennedy and John Wright. Items on the menu include: Justin Trudeau's call for FREE TRADE across Canada to galvanize our economy against future instabilty and threats from U.S. trade antagonists. Ford’s Campaign Shift: With tariffs off the table, the Premier pivots to affordability and transit, including promises on a Midtown GO Line and 401 Express Tunnel, despite lacking co...
Feb 07, 2025•53 min
Look at the latest polling after nine days of campaigning in Ontario and Douf Ford's Progressive Conservatives are flirting with the possibilty of winning 99 seats in the legislature. A party would need 63 seats to form a majority. The same seat modelling, based on the latest polls, suggests the NDP would end up with 13 seats and the Liberals would win 9. It raises the possibility that neither opposition party would have official party status after the election. (Parties need a dozen seats to be...
Feb 06, 2025•51 min
In today's episode of On The Ledge, the panel tackles the latest political shifts following a temporary reprieve on tariffs, giving the Ontario election campaign a new trajectory. Doug Ford’s positioning as "Captain Canada" comes under scrutiny, while Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles fight for visibility amid the chaos of Trump-driven global headlines. The panel also explores affordability concerns, food insecurity, and the challenges of making meaningful policy discussions break through the elec...
Feb 05, 2025•57 min
Host: Dave Trafford Guests: Bob Richardson (Hammersmith Consulting), Anna Bailão (Former Deputy Mayor of Toronto), Sheila Regehr (Basic Income Canada Network) In this episode: The 30-day tariff reprieve and its impact on the Ontario election. With Premier Doug Ford’s lead solidifying in the polls, experts discuss how Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles can shift the narrative toward healthcare, affordability, and economic resilience. The conversation also explores the need for interprovincial trade ...
Feb 04, 2025•47 min
The OTL Daily crew breaks down the escalating trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. as tariffs loom large. Host Dave Trafford leads the discussion with our insiders Keith Leslie, Tim Hudak, and Monique Smith from Global Public Affairs. They explore the economic and political fallout of Trump’s tariffs, Premier Doug Ford’s strategic response, and how this trade war plays into the Ontario election. Key Takeaways: Monique Smith reflects on her time as Ontario’s representative in Washington, no...
Feb 03, 2025•51 min
The White House has confirmed February 1st will be Tariff Day for Canada, Mexico and China with no indication as to how that will play out or what will be affected. Add to that the mixed messaging that came out regarding the date of the tariffs! Today's DAILY edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast includes pollster John Wright, former Toronto Deputy Mayor Ana Bailao and Anne Marie Aikins from Curious Public.
Jan 31, 2025•44 min
The Ontario election campaign is a political marathon of daily sprints! So,here we are with the DAILY edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast. In this episode, former Toronto Mayor John Tory, former Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak, veteran pollster John Wright, Queen's Park commentator Keith Leslie and Story Studio Network Chief Executive Producer Dave Trafford are around the table. They review the campaign launches, reflect on former Premier David Peterson's analysis of Premier Ford...
Jan 30, 2025•56 min
We've lined up the Traveling Wilburys SUPER GROUP of political commentators in Ontario to dissect, discuss, analyze and scrutinize this provincial campaign. In this DAILY edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast: We expect Doug Ford to run a front runner’s campaign. The Liberals and NDP appear to be alarmingly unprepared for this campaign BUT, Bonnie Crombie has finally announced where she’ll run for election We’re joined by our C.A.S.T. (Comms and Strategy Team) from Story Studio...
Jan 29, 2025•55 min
Here we go! This is the first of 24, Monday to Friday, daily On the Ledge podcasts. We've lined up the Traveling Wilburys SUPER GROUP of political commentators in Ontario to dissect, discuss, analyze and scrutinize this provincial campaign. The WRIT RACE has started in Ontario. Premier Doug Ford met Lt. Governor Edith Dumont at Queen's Park this afternoon and the LG agreed to dissolve the legislature as of 4pm today. Today's RoundTable includes: GERARD KENNEDY - CEO - ENTERPRISING FOR GOOD… FORM...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr
In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast. Premier Doug Ford used the occassion of a public transit announcement in Brampton to let us know he will indeed be paying a visit to the Lt. Governor to dissolve the legislature and send the province to the polls on Thursday, February 27th. Ford insists he needs the mandate in order to spend tens of billions of dollars to fight the Donald Trump tariff threats. Dave Trafford, Kathleen Wynne, Keith Leslie and Tim Hudak debate that st...
Jan 24, 2025•37 min
In this episode of 'On the Ledge,' Dave Trafford and the team dive into Ontario politics and broader Canadian issues amid evolving US-Canada relations. It's a spirited conversation covering political strategies around proposed US tariffs, the role of Canadian premiers in shaping responses, and federal leadership dynamics. The importance of unity among Canadian provinces, potential provincial elections, and insights into federal leadership races are all discussed against the backdrop of shifting ...
Jan 17, 2025•59 min
It was a poltical stink bomb like no other when Chrystia Freeland abrubtly resigned as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. It sent shock waves that cross all party lines. For all the breathlees surprise, Justin Trudeau should have seen it coming! He fired Freeland mere days before she was scheduled to deliver the Fall Economic Statement. To make matters worse, he still expected her to table the FES in the Commons. The whole affair not only called Trudeau's leadership into question it als...
Dec 20, 2024•47 min
This is the penultimate episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast - for 2024! There's no shortage of programs, commitments, or promises to solve the housing shortage in Ontario. So why do we have an issue? Because, you've got to build houses to eliminate the shortage AND we're just failing to get shovels in the ground and homes built. (Some great reporting and commentary on this from Ed Keenan at the Toronto Star ) Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie caught a good deal...
Dec 13, 2024•51 min
In this week's episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! The Auditor General's released her 2024 report and there's a lot of red meat in it for the Opposition and the Media - but does any of the scathing criticism stick to Ford Nation? Metrolinx is a mess and it got messier this week when CEO Phil Verster called it quits. The government was clearly caught off guard when Verster gave two weeks notice. He leaves after 7 years at the helm of the transit agency with next to nothing to...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr
In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: We break down the epic landslide win for the Progressive Conservatives in Nova Scotia; look at the Team Canada approach to Trump's tariff threats and the need to build more nuclear power generation in Ontairo. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think. Go to davetrafford.com and hit the TALKBACK button to leave us a message Meet the OTL Front Bench. John Wright is a veteran pollster, tak...
Nov 29, 2024•51 min
In this week's edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast: We pick apart the pre-campaign-campaign-ads. Ford is right on brand and Crombie misses the point. (It's not even clear who the Liberal ad supports!) But Marit Stiles won the week with her performance in Question Period. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think. Use this LINK https://www.speakpipe.com/OnTheLedge and LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE! Meet the OTL Front Bench. John Wright is a veteran p...
Nov 22, 2024•59 min
On the Ledge this week! Kathleen Wynne wonders why school kids are less respectful and worse behaved than we were in the day. Keith Leslie says we should all be ASHAMED of the staggering stats coming out of the 20224 Who's Hungry Report at the Daily Bread Food Bank. John Wright draws a direct line between the national immigration strategy, the static housing starts and the sharp increased use of food backs across Canada. Tim Hudak likes the idea of having the feds create an automatic income tax ...
Nov 15, 2024•55 min
In this week's edition of On the Ledge -you Ontario politics podcast. We can't NOT talk about Donald Trump's return to the White House! Our Front Bench weighs in on where the Democrats failed and how the GOP managed to grow its base into an unlikely coalition that landed Trump back behind the Resolute Desk. We also run through the pros and cons of voter-based subsidies for the provinicial political parties and do we need new laws to prevent protests outside places of worship. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE U...
Nov 08, 2024•58 min
In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast our Front Bench sifts through the remains of the 2024 Fall Economic Statement. No one on the pod thinks Ford's plan to give every child, woman and man a $200 cheque is money well spent - UNLESS the Dougie Dollars are meant to buy votes. The province won't come close to hitting it's housing targets. The LCBO took a revenue hit this year. Is that a symptom of the summer strike? Meantime, the booze in grocery stores plan was so poorly ...
Nov 01, 2024•51 min
In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! The Ledge is back! And the consensus is Ford Nation's running up the score in the fourth quarter - heading for a campaign. But the NDP is still reviewing third quarter plays while Bonnie Crombie's Liberals are stuck on the sidelines. Former Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and former Ontario Premier Kathleen agree there's alway a good deal of excitement when the House reconvenes after a lengthy recess - but we may have triggered the Pre...
Oct 25, 2024•56 min
In this edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast. Former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, former PC Ontario Leader Tim Hudak, pollster John Wright from Maru Public Opinion, veteran Queen's Park commentator Keith Leslie and Story Studio Network's Dave Trafford weigh in on the latest stories and developments at Queen's Park. This week: Rob Benzie at the Toronto Star reports Ford Nation will be sending each Ontarian a cheque for $200. It will be included in the Fall Economic Statement...
Oct 17, 2024•54 min
Former Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, Maru Public Opinion EVP, John Wright, Queen's Park Commentator Keith Leslie and Story Studio Network's Dave Trafford are at the table this week for the latest edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast. And we begin with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's brutal week. Katheleen Wynne makes no bones about it. Chow's no-show at the October 7th services was bad enough. It turned into a colossal "mess" when the mayor tried to explain herself to Newstalk ...
Oct 12, 2024•47 min
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-of-the-napkin pipe dream or big thinking and big ideas when we need them most? What's to be learned af...
Sep 27, 2024•57 min
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 Doug Ford. But he and his team keep laying rakes down and stepping on them when it comes to the Ontario...
Jul 27, 2024•48 min
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 a second Trump term in the White House!
Jul 12, 2024•46 min
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 the surprise announcement, he Science Centre closure is a done deal and what's going on at the LCBO a...
Jun 28, 2024•31 min
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 gathering in Toronto. Carolyn Parrish is the new Mayor of Mississauga and is set to launch her charm offens...
Jun 14, 2024•44 min
