On The Ledge Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford and iContact Productions

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politic podcast:

We're joined by Tim Hudak, CEO at the Ontario Real Estate Association, tp talk about the housing initiatives annoucned at Queen's Park and in Ottawa this week.

Tim says there've been some positive steps taken, such as increasing the amortization period and providing assistance for modular homes and apartment construction.

However, he also highlights the gaps and the need for more bold and comprehensive solutions.

The discussion touches on topics like the role of municipalities, the impact of land transfer tax, the importance of leveling the playing field for first-time homebuyers, and the need for a balanced approach to housing and employment lands.

the competing announcements has everyone "talking housing" but will they do enough for help meet the housing goals by 2031?

In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast:

It's been a busy "media week" for Doug Ford - making almost daily annoucements about government spending plans one week after the 2024 budget was tabled at Queen's Park.

But announcements aside, the PCs are spending a good deal of time and political capital defining Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie as the Carbon Tax Queen and re-defining Premier Ford as a guy who listens to the people when his government "gets it wrong" versus a leader who has spent two years of this mandate flip-flopping on key plans and policies of his government.

As noted in last week's show, the Ontario government has commited to historically record spending in the latest budget - beating the record spending promises tabled in 2023. Doug Ford's government has commited to more than $420 billion in spending over the last two budgets. The question is, how has that record spending improved life for Ontarians? 

In this episode of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford tackle the Ontario budget, the rhetorical distraction that is the Carbon Tax, and remembering Roy McMurtry. 
Ford Nation has coughed up another RECORD spending plan and, in so doing, have made it abundantly clear, budgets have become a nearly meaningless exercise.The rhetoric surrounding the carbon tax at Queen’s Park has completely distracted from the obvious point that the Ford government has done nothing to present an alternative to the the tax.Why isn’t the government focussed on the need to boost productivity in Ontario? The week the nation remembered and celebrated the legacy of Brian Mulroney, former Ontario Attorney General and Chief Justice of Ontario’s Superior Court Roy McMurtry. passed away. Dave highlights clips from a sit down interview he did with the Chief Justice when he retired from the bench in 2007.

In this edition of On the Ledge - Your Ontario Politics Podcast from Story Studio Network:

Dave Trafford, John Wright and Keith Leslie get into the tangled debate around the carbon tax, its impact on the economy and everyday life.

Will a three cent per litre increase at the gas pump really be noticed? How effective is the carbon tax in addressing climate change? The crowded agenda and competing priorities of the government are also explored. 
 
Also: The Ontario Superior Court has  approved a class action lawsuit against long-term care home operators in Ontario. The lawsuit cites the horror stories and outcomes in private nursing homes during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The provinces and the feds are wilfully ignoring a predictable health crisis.
 
Takeaways
The carbon tax is a contentious issue that has captured political attention across the country.There is a need for a comprehensive approach to addressing climate change, rather than relying solely on the carbon tax.The crowded agenda and competing priorities of the government make it challenging to effectively address climate change.There is a disconnect between the cost of the carbon tax and its impact on everyday life. The long-term care system in Ontario is facing a class action lawsuit due to the negligence and poor outcomes in private nursing homes.There is a need for better home care and access to primary care physicians to address the healthcare crisis.Technology and innovation can play a crucial role in improving healthcare outcomes and providing better care options.Government leadership and a long-term vision are essential to address the challenges in the healthcare system.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Carbon Tax
03:26 Complexity of Carbon Tax
06:31 Crowded Agenda and Competing Priorities
11:16 Need for a Comprehensive Approach 16:06 Disconnect between Cost and Necessity
19:24 Carbon Capture and Storage
20:50 Alberta's Potential for Carbon Capture
21:50 Long-Term Care and Home Definition
22:14 Horror Stories and Outcomes in Private Nursing Homes
23:09 Mortality Rates and the Need for Home Care
24:36 Decline in Home Care and Access to Primary Care Physicians
26:13 Shortage of General Practitioners and Lack of In-Between Care
27:44 The Need for Federal Vision and Standards in Healthcare
28:42 Aging in Place and the Gradual Transition to Long-Term Care
29:08 Provincial Responsibility and Lack of Long-Term Vision
30:35 The Role of Technology and Innovation in Home Care
31:36 The Urgency of Addressing the Healthcare Crisis
32:07 Lack of Strategy and Willful Ignorance in Healthcare
33:06 The Role of Private Industry and Lack of Government Strategy
34:18 The Need for Relationship and Emotional Contact in Healthcare
39:00 The Importance of Technology and Innovation in Healthcare
40:19 Lack of Strategy and Prioritization in Government
41:11 The Need for Leadership and Legacy in Healthcare
42:28 The Catastrophe Waiting to Happen in Healthcare
43:22 The Destructive Path of Inaction in Healthcare
44:02 The Importance of Experience and Reflection

In this episode of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast,

The Ford government was patting itself on the back this week after announcing a Ring of Fire agreement with two First Nations on next steps to build a road into the environmentally sensitive, mineral rich region of Northern Ontario. 

The announcement was long on self-congratulations but short on any commitment to ensure the project doesn't poison the air. The Ring of Fire is located on peatlands that cover an area the size of Germany. The peatlands naturally store carbon extracted from the atmosphere. Disrupting the peat bogs means releasing carbon or - worse - methane into the atmosphere.

It's estimated, the peatland around the mine claims stores about 2 gigatons of carbon. Releasing that into the atmosphere would make the site the largest carbon emitter in Canada - three times the emissions coughed up by fossil fuel ignition.


Also:

Pollster John Wright, veteran Queen's Park watcher Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network debate whether the Ford government deliberately poked the bear when the Premier insists he wants to appoint "like-minded" provincial judges. 

AND:
There are loose canons, then there's newly elected FEDERAL Conservative Party Durham MP Jamil Jivani. He used his victory speech to tear a strip off the Stephen Lecce led provincial education ministry.Does a leader's "likeability" matter when it comes to politics? 

In this week's edition of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast,

The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney passed away February 29, 2024 at the age of 84. Mulroney served as Canada's 18th prime minister from 1984 to 1993.

John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford set Queen's Park aside this week and reflect on Mulroney's legacy and career.