On The Ledge

Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford and iContact Productions
  • 4.2 (27)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
On The Ledge

The Ledge, n: slang for the legislature. Mostly used by members of the legislative press gallery. On the Ledge posts weekly when the Ontario Legislature is sitting. But there have been times when we've had to "recall" the Ledge for an emergency session to address pressing matters of Ontario politics when Queen's Park isn't sitting! Our OTL team includes the 25th Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader, (and Wynne's erstwhile parliamentary sparring partner), Tim Hudak, John Wright, our veteran pollster and co-founding host, Keith Leslie, veteran Queen's Park broadcast journalist, and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network.

  1. He may not wear a cape but Doug Ford's wearing his Captain Canada Cap!

    3 DAYS AGO

    He may not wear a cape but Doug Ford's wearing his Captain Canada Cap!

    In this episode of 'On the Ledge,' Dave Trafford and the team dive into Ontario politics and broader Canadian issues amid evolving US-Canada relations. It's a spirited conversation covering political strategies around proposed US tariffs, the role of Canadian premiers in shaping responses, and federal leadership dynamics. The importance of unity among Canadian provinces, potential provincial elections, and insights into federal leadership races are all discussed against the backdrop of shifting political landscapes. Impact of US Tariffs: Trudeau says "There's no sugarcoating it. The incoming administration's proposed tariffs against Canada would harm Americans...." First Minister's Meeting and Trudeau's Position: Who plays the good cop? Who plays the bad cop? Meanwhile, the federal Liberals fumble their way through the leadership process to choose Justin Trudeau's replacement. AND...does this complicated politcal calculus make it harder for Doug Ford to call a snap election in Ontario?LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Use this LINK and you’ve got 90s to have your say!   YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE   Meet the OTL Front Bench.   John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge. Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    59 min
  2. Justin Trudeau's LeaderSHIP isn't just listing, it's under water and sinking fast

    2024-12-20

    Justin Trudeau's LeaderSHIP isn't just listing, it's under water and sinking fast

    It was a poltical stink bomb like no other when Chrystia Freeland abrubtly resigned as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. It sent shock waves that cross all party lines. For all the breathlees surprise, Justin Trudeau should have seen it coming! He fired Freeland mere days before she was scheduled to deliver the Fall Economic Statement. To make matters worse, he still expected her to table the FES in the Commons. The whole affair not only called Trudeau's leadership into question it also highlighted Jagmeet Singh's spinelessness as the NDP leader. On Monday, he called for Trudeau to step down. On Wednesday he told CTV's Anne Marie Mediwake it wasn't the right to time commit to voting non-confidence against the minority Liberals. Tow days later, (when nothing has changed), Singh says his party will vote to bring down Trudeau's government at the earliest opportunity. Meanwhile, Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet and, all indciations are, he's not ready to step down. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think.  Go to www.davetrafford.com and hit the TALKBACK button to leave us a message  Meet the OTL Front Bench.  John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    47 min
  3. Solving the housing crisis is easy - there's just ONE catch (maybe two;)

    2024-12-13

    Solving the housing crisis is easy - there's just ONE catch (maybe two;)

    This is the penultimate episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast - for 2024! There's no shortage of programs, commitments, or promises to solve the housing shortage in Ontario. So why do we have an issue? Because, you've got to build houses to eliminate the shortage AND we're just failing to get shovels in the ground and homes built. (Some great reporting and commentary on this from Ed Keenan at the Toronto Star)   Meanwhile, Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie caught a good deal of attention with her land transfer exemption plan for first time home buyers and seniors. It would reduce the cost of an average home by more than $13k. The assumption is it makes it easier for younger Ontarians to enter the housing market and for seniors to downsize. AND we can't seem to get through a week lately without talking about Donald Trump and his tariff threats. This week, Premier Doug Ford says he's ready to pull the plug on Ontario power being exported into the US. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think.  Go to davetrafford.com and hit the TALKBACK button to leave us a message  Meet the OTL Front Bench.  John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    51 min
  4. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year for the Queen's Park Press Gallery.

    2024-12-06

    It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year for the Queen's Park Press Gallery.

    In this week's episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! The Auditor General's released her 2024 report and there's a lot of red meat in it for the Opposition and the Media - but does any of the scathing criticism stick to Ford Nation? Metrolinx is a mess and it got messier this week when CEO Phil Verster called it quits. The government was clearly caught off guard when Verster gave two weeks notice. He leaves after 7 years at the helm of the transit agency with next to nothing to show for it. And we dive into the Ford Offensive on FOX. The Premier made the case for Canada on FOX News and his audience of ONE was Donald Trump. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think.  Go to davetrafford.com and hit the TALKBACK button to leave us a message  Meet the OTL Front Bench.  John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    1 hr
  5. Trump is driving the agenda at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill

    2024-11-29

    Trump is driving the agenda at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill

    In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast: We break down the epic landslide win for the Progressive Conservatives in Nova Scotia; look at the Team Canada approach to Trump's tariff threats and the need to build more nuclear power generation in Ontairo. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think.  Go to davetrafford.com and hit the TALKBACK button to leave us a message  Meet the OTL Front Bench.  John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    51 min
  6. Marit Stiles wins the message war in Question Period

    2024-11-22

    Marit Stiles wins the message war in Question Period

    In this week's edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast: We pick apart the pre-campaign-campaign-ads. Ford is right on brand and Crombie misses the point. (It's not even clear who the Liberal ad supports!) But Marit Stiles won the week with her performance in Question Period. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think.  Use this LINK https://www.speakpipe.com/OnTheLedge and LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE! Meet the OTL Front Bench.  John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    59 min
  7. Doug Ford pushes to drop Mexico from the North American trade deal

    2024-11-15

    Doug Ford pushes to drop Mexico from the North American trade deal

    On the Ledge this week!   Kathleen Wynne wonders why school kids are less respectful and worse behaved than we were in the day.   Keith Leslie says we should all be ASHAMED of the staggering stats coming out of the 20224 Who's Hungry Report at the Daily Bread Food Bank.   John Wright draws a direct line between the national immigration strategy, the static housing starts and the sharp increased use of food backs across Canada.   Tim Hudak likes the idea of having the feds create an automatic income tax filing. That would help a lot of Canadians who live in poverty.   AND...DT gives kudos to Bonnie Crombie for her response to the Dougie Dollars handout.   YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW!   Let us know what you think.    Use this LINK https://www.speakpipe.com/OnTheLedge and LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE!   Meet the OTL Front Bench.   John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge.   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018. Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    55 min
  8. What does Donald Trump's comeback mean for Ontario?

    2024-11-08

    What does Donald Trump's comeback mean for Ontario?

    In this week's edition of On the Ledge -you Ontario politics podcast. We can't NOT talk about Donald Trump's return to the White House! Our Front Bench weighs in on where the Democrats failed and how the GOP managed to grow its base into an unlikely coalition that landed Trump back behind the Resolute Desk. We also run through the pros and cons of voter-based subsidies for the provinicial political parties and do we need new laws to prevent protests outside places of worship. YOU CAN NOW LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE ABOUT THE SHOW! Let us know what you think. Comment on the discussion. What would you like us to talk about.  Use this LINK and LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE!   YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE   Meet the OTL Front Bench.   John Wright is a veteran pollster, taking the political pulse in Canada and the U.S. He's also a founding host of On the Ledge   Keith Leslie is a regular contributor to CHCH News and spent more than more than half of his career at Canadian Press reporting from Queen’s Park. Keith joined On the Ledge in July, 2018.   Tim Hudak brings more than two decades of experience as an MPP in Ontario and five years as the Leader of the Ontario PC Party to On the Ledge.   Kathleen Wynne shares her unique perspectives as the first woman elected Premier of Ontario when she joins the crew around the table at On the Ledge.   Dave Trafford is a “Podcast Journalist”, the Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network, and a Recovering News Director, (having led the news operations at Global News Toronto, Newstalk 1010 and AM640 radio in Toronto) with more than forty years of experience in Canadian media. He and John launched the podcast the same day the 2018 Ontario election campaign kicked off!

    58 min
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4.2
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

The Ledge, n: slang for the legislature. Mostly used by members of the legislative press gallery. On the Ledge posts weekly when the Ontario Legislature is sitting. But there have been times when we've had to "recall" the Ledge for an emergency session to address pressing matters of Ontario politics when Queen's Park isn't sitting! Our OTL team includes the 25th Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader, (and Wynne's erstwhile parliamentary sparring partner), Tim Hudak, John Wright, our veteran pollster and co-founding host, Keith Leslie, veteran Queen's Park broadcast journalist, and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network.

Information

  • Creator
    Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford and iContact Productions
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    279
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Story Studio Network
  • Show Website
    On The Ledge

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