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.

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.

But he cabinet shuffle was completely sidelined,by a series of questionable patronage appointments, AND the sudden resignation of his Chief of Staff, Dean French.

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.

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 rolled out or 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.