Today on The WRIT Race daily #podcast, John Wright and Dave Trafford ponder whether there can be such a thing as a national election platform when the needs of Canadians in Atlanta Canada are different from the issues faced in the prairies and the territories. Also, how will mail-in voting/voter turnout affect the outcome in some key ridings on election day?

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Yes, it's early in the federal election campaign in Canada, but there are already indications that the traditional Liberal issues aren't top of mind as priorities for most Canadians. John Wright SVP at Maru Public Opinion says the NDP and Conservatives continue to frame this campaign in terms of affordability. John says external events like Afghanistan and the Progressive Conservative provincial election win in Nova Scotia have set Justin Trudeau back on his heels.

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Day 2 of the federal election campaign in Canada and the agenda has been overtaken by the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. The Taliban's lighting like win over Afghan forces that put up no defence of the capital Kabul has dominated the domestic political debate and has the Liberal leader on his back foot. Justin Trudeau is being forced to display leadership, to govern and to develop policy on a major international file he can't control. It means he's distracted, (at best), from his re-election focus while the other leaders define the ballot question.

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Hey there!  I know you come here for your dose of Ontario politics and we usually focus our attention on Queen's Park. But for the next 36 days, federal politics will be Ontario politics.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it official yesterday, we are going to the polls on September 20th. So, John Wright and I have decided to return to the daily podcast during the writ period. (That's the way this show started when the 2018 election was called in Ontario). Buckle up. I don't know if this will be the most important elections we've seen in Canada, but it's likely to rank among the most interesting.

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Okay, it's been all but shuttered since 2012, so the redevelopment plans for Ontario Place on Toronto's waterfront are long overdue. But, it would appear that plan is getting some pretty good reviews. The back-to-school-plan - not so much. Premier Doug Ford had promised to present a comprehensive plan before the end of July. Well, they missed that deadline. We're told to expect details the first week of August - mere weeks before the kids are supposed to be heading back to class.  

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In this week's edition of On the Ledge, Ontario Real Estate Association and past Progressive Conservative leader in Ontario, Tim Hudak joins the podcast. Tim talks about his recommendations to get the province's tourism industry back to business. Does that mean we need to embrace a vaccine "passport" to ensure travellers and workers feel comfortable and confident to make that happen? Meanwhile, Ontario's Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and Manitoba's new Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Affairs show us the way NOT to make your media debut in your new role.

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Do you suppose Ontario retailers, barbers and nail salons will simply ignore the rules and open up for business on Canada Day? Perhaps the better question is, how many businesses will move to Step 2 on July 2nd (as originally planned) because it makes little or no sense to open up on Wednesday only to have to close down for the July 1st stat? We also wonder whether Premier Doug Ford has misplayed his hand bouncing longtime Tory stalwarts from his cabinet. And what action does the province need to take against the backdrop of the Residential Schools tragedy?

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This week on the podcast with John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford, the province is on the verge of blowing through its vaccination targets, (will the Ford government accelerate plans to open the economy?), the NDP is the first out of the gate with campaign ads, the Tories have named their platform build team,   AND.. Oh ya, while we're recoding the show, Keith gets a text telling us we may have a cabinet shuffle by the end of business on Friday!

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford was ready to use the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to cut Toronto City Council by half, bu the Court of Appeal spoil his historic flirtation when a three judge panel said he could do just that. Now, he's ready to lob the constitutional nuke so he can restrict third party spending during an election campaign. And with few exceptions, nobody seems too fussed by it.

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The Ontario legislature is now in its summer break. MPP's will be back at Queen's Park in September. In the meantime, there is a good deal of speculation, if not expectation, that Premier Doug Ford will shuffle, maybe blow up, his front bench. The Toronto Star is reporting that Ford is considering a major cabinet shakeup as he prepares to present a team worthy of re-election a year from now.  

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