Ontario Loud

It's been a week of tears, frustration, agony, and many now capitulation on paid sick days? But probably not. Karim Bardeesy joins to talk about whot he conservatives could implement paid sick days while keeping their principles in tact. We talk about pandemic recovery & how the feds are thinking about it.

Folks, friends, we always tell you the truth. We always make the tough decisions. And today is no different. Chris, Alvin, Garima and Sam talk to you about the total catastrophe that is the Ford government's management of COVID-19 as Ontario is set to see cases exceed 10,000 per day. Oh - also an amazing federal budget was released. We talk about that too.

The engine light was on for miles before this, but Doug Ford kept driving that car. With the wheels now falling off the car completely, we are living through a very frightening time. We reflect on that, while looking ahead to what the NDP and the Liberal Party of Canada have to say about the kinds of policies progressives can look forward to if they form government.

We talk about the necessary, but late and incoherent announcement of another provincewide shutdown to deal with rising COVID-19 cases, the province's relationships with developers and how that might be informing it's advocacy over the 413, and the vaccine plant coming to Toronto just in time for the next pandemic.

Despite unprecedented challenges facing the province, Ontario announces a budget that puts our money into... underwhelming healthcare investments and reducing the deficit. While COVID case counts rise, the Premier's Office is embroiled in a scandal everyone knew about where the Premier's Press Sec is dating a QP Gallery member. Sigh.

We discuss the various impacts that Amazon is having in Ontario Politics currently, from almost destroying but then saving a protected wetland in Pickering, to giving a bunch of workers in Brampton COVID. We also discuss the Premier's racist remarks in the legislature.

The crew covers the FAO's report on affordable housing and homelessness, revelations from the long-term-care commission that Minister Merilee Fullerton recommended moving faster than the government was willing to in long-term-care homes, vaccines, and an interview with Miles Corak on EI.

Chris, Alvin, Garima and Sam talk about the Ford government's changes to elections and campaign finance, the secret deal to sell a downtown property over the wishes of the community, and a report on how social assistance administration will change. NDP MP Candidate Brian Chang joins to talk campaigning during the pandemic.

Chris, Alvin, and Sam dive through all the pre-budget legislation on-tap for Spring 2020. From privatization, to paid sick days, to porch pirates and cat-declawing - it's an electic one. Ontario Tech University's Dr. Barbara Perry joins us to talk about the reach of the far right in Ontario.

Sam talks to Gayle Nathanson of the Coalition to End Online Hate. Garima, Chris and Sam talk love, romance, upsetting COVID modelling and governance, Ontario's economic outlook, and a quick interlude about Phoebe Bridgers (letting Chris write these may be a mistake).