『On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast』のカバーアート

On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

著者： Dave Trafford and iContact Productions
無料で聴く

The Ledge, n: slang for the legislature. Mostly used by members of the legislative press gallery.
On the Ledge posts weekly when the Ontario Legislature is sitting. But there have been times when we've had to "recall" the Ledge for an emergency session to address pressing matters of Ontario politics when Queen's Park isn't sitting!

Our OTL team includes former Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, former Progressive Conservative Leader, (and Wynne's erstwhile parliamentary sparring partner), Tim Hudak, Queen's Park broadcast commentator Keith Leslie, John Wright, our veteran pollster and co-founding host, and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network.Copyright D. Trafford 政治・政府 政治学
エピソード
  • We Interrupt This Summer Recess at Queen's Park

    We Interrupt This Summer Recess at Queen's Park
    2026/07/30
    It's an EMERGENCY SESSION of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast!

    This special summer edition of On the Ledge breaks from the usual hiatus to examine a turbulent stretch in Ontario politics.

    Dave Trafford is joined by veteran Queen's Park journalists Jessica Smith Cross (Editor-in-Chief at The Trillium) and Keith Leslie , (Former Queen's Park Bureau Chief, The Canadian Press), to assess how a series of controversies has altered the political landscape heading into the fall.

    The discussion explores the Ford government's mounting challenges, including the fallout from the government Gravy Plane fiasco, MPP expense claims scandal, caucus tensions, declining public approval, and an increasingly "off-brand" image for Premier Doug Ford.

    And then...there's the federal decision to pause Billy Bishop Airport expansion, and Ford Nation's uncoordinated response - starting with a veiled threat from the province to stop the federal plans for a high speed rail corridor between Ontario and Quebec.

    All this while Doug Ford's government is roundly criticized for Ontario's wildfire response or lack thereof. Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop was ill=prepared for a recent radio interview she did on As It Happens. (It was a comms disaster that cost Dunlop's press secretary her job. LISTEN TO IT HERE)

    And heading into August teacher contract negotiations are going nowhere, while the province's preparedness for AI data centres.

    The conversation analyzes how these stories have been covered by journalists, why they are resonating with the public, and what they could mean for Ontario politics when the Legislature returns this fall.

    Chapters
    00:00 – Introduction & Summer Political Reset
    Dave Trafford welcomes Jessica Smith Cross and Keith Leslie for a special summer roundtable examining Ontario's biggest political stories.
    02:05 – Expense Scandals, the "Gravy Plane" & Ford's Brand
    How MPP expense claims, leaked caucus memos and the government aircraft controversy have reshaped public perception of the Ford government.
    23:45 – Billy Bishop Airport, Federal Pushback & Political Fallout
    The panel discusses Ottawa's decision to pause Billy Bishop expansion, provincial reactions, and the broader implications for federal-provincial relations.
    35:30 – Wildfires, Forest Management & Emergency Response
    Ontario's record wildfire season, evacuation challenges, forestry policy and questions surrounding government preparedness.
    51:45 – Looking Ahead to Fall Politics
    Teacher contract negotiations, AI data centre regulation, and the political issues likely to dominate Ontario's agenda when the Legislature returns.



    You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)

    Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X

    And you can leave us a voice comment here!

    For more information go to Dave's website.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    54 分
  • What are the REAL costs of the construction of Highway 413?

    What are the REAL costs of the construction of Highway 413?
    2026/06/18
    The Ontario legislature adjourned for a five month break on June 3rd - the same day opposition parties and advocates called on the province's Financial Accountability Office to review the cost to build and operate Doug Ford's pet-project Highway 413.

    So far, the government has refused to offer any real details.

    It prompts the question: What is the Ontario government hiding about Highway 413?

    In this episode of On the Ledge, Dave Trafford speaks with investigative journalist Paul Webster about his years-long battle to uncover the true cost of Ontario’s proposed Highway 413 project.

    Webster explains how Freedom of Information requests led to a major legal confrontation with the Ontario government over land acquisition records tied to the controversial highway.

    The conversation digs into cabinet confidentiality claims, the role of the Information Commissioner of Ontario, and why the province is spending significant legal resources fighting disclosure requests.

    Webster also explores the larger implications of Highway 413 — from environmental concerns and urban sprawl to developer interests and taxpayer accountability. This episode examines:
    • Ontario Freedom of Information laws
    • Highway 413 land acquisition costs
    • Government transparency and accountability
    • Cabinet confidentiality disputes
    • Developer influence and land speculation
    • Environmental concerns surrounding Highway 413
    • The legal battle between the Ontario government and the Information Commissioner
    If you follow Ontario politics, infrastructure debates, environmental policy, or government accountability stories, this conversation offers an important look at one of the province’s biggest ongoing controversies.

    You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)

    Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X

    And you can leave us a voice comment here!

    For more information go to Dave's website.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    33 分
  • Ontario’s Property Tax Time Bomb - A 10-Year Policy Failure Costing Businesses Millions

    Ontario’s Property Tax Time Bomb - A 10-Year Policy Failure Costing Businesses Millions
    2026/06/11
    Ontario’s commercial property tax system is broken and it's costing business across the province tens of millions of dollars A YEAR. And all because of the municipal assessment policies set at Queen's Park. Premier Doug Ford knows there's a problem, yet has done nothing about it since taking office in 2018.

    In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario Politics Podcast, Dave Trafford sits down with property tax advocate Paul Sullivan to unpack the hidden consequences of Ontario’s decade-long property assessment freeze.

    Sullivan argues that because Ontario properties are still being assessed using 2016 values, the province has created a distorted and increasingly unfair tax system — especially for small businesses. While municipal budgets and tax rates continue to rise, the underlying assessments haven’t kept pace with dramatic changes in commercial real estate values, consumer behaviour, development pressures, and post-pandemic economic realities.

    The conversation breaks down how “ad valorem” taxation is supposed to work, why regular reassessments matter, and how freezing assessments has shifted disproportionate tax burdens onto local retailers, restaurants, and independent businesses. Sullivan shares findings from his analysis of more than 3,000 GTA property sales and reveals that many neighbourhood businesses are unknowingly paying thousands more in property taxes than they should.

    Dave and Paul also explore the broader political and economic implications: municipal dependence on property taxes, provincial reluctance to reform the system, development slowdowns, rising costs for consumers, and the erosion of trust in public finance. Despite the complexity of the issue, the discussion keeps returning to a simple question: who is really paying the price for outdated tax policy?



    You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)

    Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X

    And you can leave us a voice comment here!

    For more information go to Dave's website.
    続きを読む 一部表示
    34 分
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
まだレビューはありません