Trillium Talk - A weekly briefing from the Ontario Legislature from the team at The Trillium

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Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who quarterbacked our in-depth coverage of the Ford government's latest budget.

Uncertainty was the theme this year, with Donald Trump's tariffs looming large. Amid all the unknowns, the deficit for the fiscal year that began in April is expected to increase to $14.6 billion — up from the $4.6 billion predicted in last year’s budget.

Highlights include up to $5 billion for a new Protecting Ontario Account, which will provide "immediate liquidity relief” for tariff-hit businesses after they have exhausted all other government supports. Another $5 billion will go into the province’s infrastructure bank, the Building Ontario Fund.

You can read all our detailed budget coverage HERE.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

Want to see more video features from Village Media? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is deputy editor Sneh Duggal, who has been covering the Ford government's escalating war with some school boards over hefty budget deficits.

Duggal also brings us the latest on the measles outbreak in Ontario — and growing criticism that the province isn't doing enough to promote vaccination or keep the public informed.

VIDEO: Measles is back with a vengeance, and we all know why

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find them all HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

Want to see more video features from Village Media? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday morning, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Jack Hauen, who tries to do justice to Premier Doug Ford's now-viral "rant" against "terrible, terrible bleeding-heart judges." (If you missed it, the full clip is in the video above).

SEE: Doug Ford's judges 'rant' again sparks fears over judicial independence

Hauen also breaks downs the Ford government's “tough-on-crime” proposals aimed at protecting families, supporting human trafficking victims and bolstering Ontario's court system.

One more thing: Budget Day has been set for May 15.

COLUMN: Retired judge objects to premier's 'rant' on judiciary

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of provincial politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the si

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday morning, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Jack Hauen, who uncovered some eyeopening details about so-called bed-blockers — the "alternative-level-of-care" patients that the Ford government is trying hard to remove from Ontario's hospitals.

Internal documents obtained by The Trillium illustrate the complex needs of these patients, who sometimes can't afford private care, have no family to look after them and medical issues advocates say are too severe for long-term care. Yet if these patients refuse to leave the hospital, they could be fined.

Hauen also brings us up to speed on the latest developments in the Charter challenge over supervised consumption sites, and a newsworthy addition to Premier Doug Ford's staff.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, the Ontario company that operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of provincial politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday morning, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Charlie Pinkerton, who explains why one of Premier Doug Ford's former assistants was found to have violated Ontario's lobbying law. (Spoiler alert: the story involves Maple Leafs tickets being offered to government officials.)

Pinkerton also talks tariffs — and what Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney had to say about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of provincial politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Jack Hauen, who has been covering every development in the ongoing Charter challenge over the Ford government's plan to shut down 10 supervised drug consumption sites in Ontario. 

He also breaks down what's behind some pointed words from Premier Doug Ford's campaign manager, who said this week that if federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn't start responding to people's fear and anxiety over U.S. President Donald Trump, his party could get "obliterated" when voters head to the polls.

Kory Teneycke also said Poilievre suffers from “basic unlikability” and shares too much in common with the American president. “He looks too much like Trump," he told an audience at the Empire Club of Canada. "He sounds too much like Trump. He uses the lexicon of Trump."

As Hauen points out, Ford has not endorsed his federal Conservative counterpart — while at the same time heaping praise on Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Election day is April 28. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Village Media's federal politics news source, ParliamentToday.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of provincial politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who fills us in on the look of Doug Ford's new cabinet — and what the premier had to say to U.S. President Donald Trump during the swearing-in ceremony.

She also talks about the most "wild" scoop of the week: coyotes chasing police near Ford's Toronto home. 

According to records obtained by The Trillium through a freedom-of-information request, cops protecting the premier had at least two run-ins with coyotes a year and a half ago.

“The officers tried several tactics to try and chase the coyotes away with no luck, short of shooting them," one officer wrote in an email. "They appear to have no fear of people.”

You can read that story HERE.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

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​Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Now that the provincial election campaign is over, our regular Sunday morning catch-up with staffers at The Trillium is back to its regular weekend time slot.

On the show today is deputy editor Sneh Duggal, who breaks down another chaotic week in the on-again, off-again tariff war driven by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Although Trump did another about-face on Thursday, announcing a temporary partial backtrack on some of the tariffs he put in place two days earlier, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is vowing to push through on his plan to add 25 per cent to the price of electricity that flows to the United States.

Ford says the surcharge, set to take effect Monday, will remain in place until Trump "drops the tariffs completely."

"Isn't this a shame?" Ford told reporters at Queen's Park on Thursday. "This whole thing with President Trump is an absolute mess."

Also on the show today: Ontario has reached an agreement in principle with the feds on extending $10-a-day child-care — but the province wants more than the $16.77 billion Ottawa is offering. 

Looking for previous episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find all of them HERE.

Operated by Village Media, which operates this community news site, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

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Throughout the provincial campaign, our team of political reporters at The Trillium kept you up to date on all the big news from the major party leaders. Today, they convene for one more panel discussion.

We’ve officially reached the hangover phase of the election campaign.

After four weeks crisscrossing the province with Ontario’s party leaders, our team of Queen’s Park journalists from The Trillium sits down today for one last panel discussion about the 2025 campaign.

Beginning next week, Trillium Talk will return to its regular time slot: 8 o’clock Sunday mornings across the Village Media network.

Looking for previous episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find them all HERE.

Operated by Village Media, a leader in local journalism, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome to a special edition of Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Although this segment usually runs on Sunday mornings, we've been ramping things up now that a provincial election has been set for Feb. 27.

Every weekday during the campaign — which officially ends tonight — Village Media's Scott Sexsmith has sat down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the big developments of the day. 

On the show today is reporter Charlie Pinkerton, who followed PC Leader Doug Ford back to the Windsor area today — the same part of the province where the PC Leader kicked off his campaign on Jan. 29.

Ford is expected to finish his day in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville, where Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is in a close fight to win the seat.

For her part, Crombie is spending the final hours of the campaign touring through Oakville, Mississauga and Hamilton, while NDP Leader Marit Stiles is in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Hamilton and the riding of York—South Weston.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is spending the bulk of the day in Kitchener Centre, where MPP Aislinn Clancy is hoping to hang onto her seat.

Ontarians head to the polls tomorrow morning. Be sure to check out our site for all the latest news, including live election results.

Looking for previous episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find them all HERE.

And be sure to check out our site's 'Ontario Votes' page for everything you need to make an informed decision at the ballot box, including local campaign headlines, candidate profiles, party promise trackers — and in-depth daily coverage from The Trillium.

Operated by Village Media, a leader in local journalism, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.