Ontario Loud

So we took a short break this week, but shortly after recording our last podcast, Doug Ford released new legislation that gives the province new powers to upload new transit projects outside of any agreement with the city of Toronto. Chris sat down with Cam from CodeRedTO to dive into the new legislation, while the rest of the pod re-calibrates and gets ready for a whole Spring and Summer's worth of new content for you.

Friends... it's time to get to the bottom of just what the everloving heck our Premier is doing with transit in Toronto. Does Doug Ford have a coherent vision for transit? Could some parts of that vision be good? What will it mean for riders? Answers to all those questions and more with special guests Cameron MacLeod and Dr. Patricia Wood. 

Chris, Alvin, Sam, Alexi and Kate dissect the recent election results in Alberta and PEI and what they could mean for the Liberals come October. They also get into the latest Patrick Brown scandal (who thought that could still be a thing?), the Ford government's gutting of Environmental protections and public health, and some classic movies. Also, Kate Hammer is here to stay! (Yay!)

While the world feverishly pours through Bob Mueller's report on the wrongdoings of the Trump white house, let Sam take you through the lesser-known findings of Ontario Integrity Commissioner David Wake's inquiry into the attempted hiring of Doug Ford friend Ron Taverner. The stakes may not be quite as high, but the parallels are striking. Also Alvin makes some important points about how Quebec is proposing to trample all over the charter of rights and freedoms.

Kate Hammer joins Alexi, Chris and Alvin again to dissect Ontario Budget 2019. Do you like Booze? Do you like cuts to vital public services? Do you like the game of Cricket? Then there's something in this budget for you. 

Ever wondered what goes into making a provincial budget? Former Premier's Office advisor Kate Hammer joins Alexi, Sam, Alvin and Chris to take you inside the process, how it works, what it lacks, and what to expect from Doug Ford's first Ontario Budget. The team also talks about the Ford government's abandonment of decency on the overdose prevention file. 

Former policy chief to Premiers Wynne and McGuinty Karim Bardeesy joins the pod to talk about Minister Lisa Thompson's plan to "reform education" by increasing class size, and the impacts that the new plan will have on learning, student success and school closures. 

Health and finance policy expert Garima Talwar Kapoor joins the pod to dive into the 2019 Federal Budget. Chris, Alvin, Alexi and Sam spar over what the best, worst and most obscure measures in the budget were, and what it will mean for the 2019 Federal Election, and Garima shares her insights on what the movement on a national pharmacare plan will mean for you. 

Chris, Alvin, Sam and Alexi dive into the world of refugee claimants in Canada and Ontario, which we feel is particularly important given the recent anti-immigrant, anti-muslim terrorism in New Zealand. Chris interviews Anne Woolger, Founding Director of the Matthew House resettlement service, and the whole team discusses what the province and federal government should be doing to improve service to one of our most vulnerable populations. 

So we couldn't resist diving into the juicy and confusing political morass of the SNC Lavalin scandal currently rocking the Trudeau Liberal government. Chris, Alvin, and Alexi reflect on their experience as political staffers in Ontario's Liberal government, and what that experience could tell us about the events unfolding in Ottawa... which is still in Ontario so it counts!