On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

One week after the Doug Ford government celebrated its first year since since winning a sweeping majority in Ontario and reducing the governing Liberals to less than party status, the premier didn't just shuffle his cabinet - he blew it up and rebuilt it. Doug Ford fired/demoted some of his key front benchers. Barely a couple of months after tabling his first (and only, it seems) provincial budget, Vic Fedeli lost his job as the Finance Minister - demoted to a lesser portfolio as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Education Minister Lisa Thompson was bumped down to Government and Community Services. And Lisa MacLeod was nearly gleeful when she was shifted out of the Children, Community and Social Services ministry to take over Tourism, Culture and Sports. Rod Phillips got the nod to take over the Finance portfolio, leaving Environment to Jeff Yurek, who was shifted out of Transportation in favour of Caroline Mulroney. And rookie Doug Downey assumed the robes and role of Ontario's Attorney General. So this was a first class shake up; it was described as 'the reset' for Ford Nation; it was cast as the government's opportunity to rehab some of the self-inflicted wounds it suffered in the first year since being elected. Not so fast. The cabinet shuffle was completely sidelined, derailed and torched by a series of questionable patronage appointments, (announced mere hours after the new cabinet was introduced), the Premier's decision to rescind the appointments a day later AND the sudden resignation of his Chief of Staff, Dean French. Add to that the province's announced decision to cancel Canada Day festivities at Queen's Park as a cost saving measure and it turned into another bad week for Premier Ford and his team. The new year starting much the same way the old year ended.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

We are in the legislative interregnum in Ontario. The session ended a week ago and now the focus turns to the reset phase for Doug Ford's government. Slipping polls, poor approvals and a budget that was neither rolled out nor received as expected are putting pressure on the rookie premier to shuffle his cabinet. And then there's the toxic culture being described in the Premier's inner circle. The Toronto Star's Rob Benzie reports Ford's Chief of Staff Dean French habitually berates caucus members in public.    You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

This week mark's the first anniversary of Doug Ford's election as Premier of Ontario. And for all the tumult we've seen, the ON THE LEDGE crew gave the PC government a "B" for it's first twelve months on the job.The premier held a session ending news conference with his entire cabinet in attendance and Ford made it clear they'll be busy during the four month recess from the legislature. John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford are joined in episode by Amanda Galbraith - a Principal at Navigator.    You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

Coming off a constituency week and it would appear the Ford PC's in Ontario got an earful about their planned cuts to municipal service budgets across the province. To put it into football parlance, the Premier staged a hurry up offence on Monday morning - calling an unscheduled news conference to tell the media his government LISTENED and has decided to defer the budget cuts until next year. Did the Premier blink? This week we're joined by CTV Toronto's Queen's Park Bureau Chief Colin D'Mello.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

It was a week away from the LEDGE for MPPs in Ontario who were spending time in their constituencies. But while they were away the pollsters decided to play. At least four polls were published during constituency week with varying results. But the overriding message is Ontarians are pushing back against Premier Doug Ford and his across the board budget cuts.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

It's the Victoria Day edition of On The Ledge. It's worth noting, Queen's Park, home of the Ontario Legislature, is Queen Victoria's Park. In this episode, the week ends with a flurry of "good news stories" for the Ford Tories. CH political analyst Keith Leslie, Dart Insights and Communications CEO John Wright and iContact Productions' Dave Trafford think it may be good news for MPPs who will be in their ridings for a constituency week.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

It's been a year since the provincial campaign kicked off in Ontario and voters kicked out the Wynne Liberals in favour of the Ford PCs. This week the Tories are convinced we need higher speed limits and the OPP needs less money. It was also a week when seniors were chased from a constituency office for staging a silent "read-in" protest.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

The Autism file has been radioactive for governments at Queen's Park. The McGuinty/Wynne Liberals fumbled badly during their fifteen year tenure. The Ford PCs followed up by over promising and stumbling out of the gate shortly after their Jun 2018 election. But there may be some good news for families and kids with autism. There's been a change of approach and a change of tone.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

First, Ontario's provincial government reduced Toronto's City Council by nearly half; after 8 months in office, the Ford government announced its own subway and rail transit plan for Toronto - including changes to projects already under way. Then, in the spring budget, Queen's Park cut public health funding for municipalities across the province. But the cuts were deeper in Toronto than other cities. It didn't sit well with Toronto Mayor John Tory and it wasn't all that well defended by provincial Health Minister Christine Elliott.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.

MPPs in Ontario headed to their ridings during the Easter break after Finance Minister Vic Fedeli tabled his first budget. Reaction was delayed as key details slowly surfaced in the media. At first blush, the budget was viewed as a moderate financial plan for the province. But, as Opposition members and media dug into the details, it became apparent that the Ford government was preparing significant cuts to education, health and environmental programs.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.