On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast Podcast Por Dave Trafford and iContact Productions arte de portada

On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

On The Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast

De: Dave Trafford and iContact Productions
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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 Ciencia Política Política y Gobierno
Episodios
  • Ford Nation takes a Long Winter's Nap

    Ford Nation takes a Long Winter's Nap
    Dec 11 2025
    This episode finds the ON THE LEDGE panel assessing Ontario politics as the legislature heads into an unusually long nine-week winter recess. Dave Trafford is joined by political analyst Keith Leslie, former premier Kathleen Wynne, pollster John Wright, and Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley for a wide-ranging conversation about a government under strain, an opposition struggling to connect, and a public increasingly fatigued by political noise.

    The panel digs into the Ford government’s limited sitting days, its retail-style governing approach, and the widening fallout from the Skills Development Fund scandal—now under OPP investigation. They examine why concerns about transparency and favoritism are sticking with voters, including Conservative supporters, and debate whether a cabinet shuffle, structural reform, or strategic reset is needed to rebuild credibility.

    Healthcare dominates much of the discussion, especially the Ford government’s plan to expand private clinics for hip and knee surgeries. Panelists question the province’s long-term capacity to meet demand, the risk of draining talent from the public system, and the absence of a coherent strategy for primary and geriatric care.

    The episode wraps with a frustrated look at Ontario’s transit saga—from the Finch LRT's early shutdowns to the endlessly delayed Eglinton Crosstown, now pushed to 2026. The panel considers whether public-private partnerships are failing large transit builds, and what systemic lessons have yet to be learned.

    Chapters & Timecodes
    00:00 – Introduction & Final Sitting Day
    01:00 – Legislature’s Short Calendar & Governing Priorities
    04:20 – Skills Development Fund Scandal & Political Impact
    10:45 – Healthcare Capacity, Private Clinics & System Pressures
    22:30 – OPP Investigation, Public Trust & Opposition Dynamics
    32:00 – Transit Failures: Crosstown, Finch LRT & PPP Lessons


    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.
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    56 m
  • Ontario's Healthcare "Time Bomb"

    Ontario's Healthcare "Time Bomb"
    Dec 5 2025
    This week on On the Ledge, Dave Trafford is joined by Keith Leslie, John Wright, Tim Hudak, and Kathleen Wynne for a wide-ranging conversation centred on the Ontario Auditor General’s annual report.

    The panel digs deeply into the issues revealed around Ontario’s healthcare system—particularly physician billing, outdated OHIP technology, primary-care shortages, administrative burdens, and the lack of coherent province-wide planning for family medicine.

    They explore systemic breakdowns highlighted in the AG’s findings, including mismanaged PPE procurement and expired stock, and reflect on long-standing structural weaknesses governments have failed to address since SARS and COVID-19.

    The group also examines the demographic “time bomb” facing the healthcare system, the looming retirement wave among physicians, and the fiscal implications of an aging population. They debate partisan advertising thresholds after the AG flagged government-funded promotional campaigns, and they consider governance issues within Ontario’s regulatory bodies in light of the Ricoh/IPRO real estate scandal.

    The episode closes with a discussion on EQAO results, support for teachers, and the political risks surrounding potential reforms to Ontario’s school boards.

    CHAPTERS & TIMECODES

    00:00 – Introduction & Around the Table Opening of the show; panel check-in; light conversation about dogs, calendars, and family stories.
    03:00 – Auditor General’s Healthcare Findings Discussion of physician billing outliers, lack of accountability, antiquated OHIP billing technology, administrative burdens, and the failure to modernize systems.
    12:00 – Primary Care Shortages & Medical Education Gaps Panel examines the AG’s concerns about family-doctor shortages, insufficient planning for medical-school seats, and the undervaluing of primary-care physicians.
    16:00 – PPE Waste, Procurement Failures & COVID Lessons Not Learned Review of $1.4B in written-off PPE, expired stock, supply-chain mismanagement, and recurring systemic gaps dating back to SARS.
    21:00 – Demographic Reckoning & Long-Term Healthcare Pressures Aging population, long-term care demands, fiscal strain, infrastructure needs, and the political challenges of preparing for 2035–2041.
    26:00 – Government Advertising, Partisanship & Oversight Debate over the AG’s findings on $112M in government ads, non-partisan rules, auditor oversight, and the need for clearer safeguards.
    35:00 – Real Estate Regulation Crisis: Ricoh & the IPRO Scandal Why the minister dissolved the Ricoh board, trust-fund failures, regulatory breakdowns and the first-ever appointment of an administrator.
    41:00 – EQAO Results, Curriculum Pressures & Speculation on School Board Reform Discussion on rising but insufficient test scores, lack of teacher support for new curriculum, and hints of major governance changes ahead.



    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.
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    53 m
  • The Beer Store Deal is NO DEAL

    The Beer Store Deal is NO DEAL
    Nov 28 2025
    Host: Dave Trafford
    Guests: Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, John Wright, Vicki, Keith Leslie

    In this wide-ranging conversation, the roundtable begins with a deeply personal and moving story from Tim Hudak about his daughter Miller’s extraordinary journey overcoming apraxia, culminating in her powerful return to Loretto Abbey as an honour-roll speaker. That message of courage and kindness threads into a broader discussion about the need for compassion in politics—something panelists say is sorely lacking across jurisdictions.

    The episode then shifts to the week’s major policy stories: the Beer Store’s proposed return-to-empties “solution,” why it fails to address convenience and recycling realities, and how closing beer stores is reshaping neighborhood waste streams. The panel breaks down the Ford government’s response, the LCBO’s absence in the system, and why most consumers’ habits make the proposed changes unworkable.

    The group also analyzes the uproar over Bill 60 protests at Queen’s Park, the Premier’s controversial “get a job” remark, and what it reveals about government defensiveness, public frustration, and eroding legislative process. From there, the conversation widens to major national developments: pipeline politics, inter-provincial tensions, First Nations relationships, big-project approvals, and whether Ottawa’s sudden urgency reflects a shifting federal strategy.

    The show closes with a sharp look at healthcare realities—funding pressures, demographic waves, operational failures, and the growing debate over what a sustainable system actually looks like.

    Chapters & Timecodes

    00:00 – Introduction & Opening Notes
    Fundraising success for St. Clare Inn; introductions around the table.

    02:40 – Tim Hudak’s Story: Miller’s Journey & A Call for Kindness
    Tim shares an emotional account of his daughter’s perseverance, sparking a discussion about compassion in politics and society.

    14:00 – Kindness, Compassion & Political Culture
    Panel reflects on political polarization, U.S. border policies, and the erosion of empathy in public life.

    15:30 – The Beer Store Deal: Why It’s No Deal
    Reaction to beer stores agreeing to take empties back; consumer inconvenience; LCBO’s absence; Lions Club bottle-drive model; recycling system strain.

    26:00 – Bill 60 Protests, Legislative Tension & “Get a Job”
    Premier Ford’s remark to protesters, protester removal, and broader concerns about shrinking public consultation and legislative transparency.

    36:00 – Big Projects, Pipelines & Federal–Provincial Alignment
    Ring of Fire, Manitoba pipeline MOU, U.S. tariffs, Indigenous consultation challenges, and Ottawa’s accelerated pace on major files.

    53:00 – Healthcare Reckoning: The Jalopy Argument
    Private vs. public tensions, demographic pressures, chronic-care gaps, funding models, and what reforms will actually be required.

    FULL TRANSCRIPT


    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.
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    1 h y 3 m
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