On The Ledge
Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford and iContact Productions
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 former Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, former Progressive Conservative Leader, (and Wynne's erstwhile parliamentary sparring partner), Tim Hudak, Queen's Park broadcast commentator Keith Leslie, John Wright, our veteran pollster and co-founding host, and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 30, 2021 • 21min
In the absence of a Liberal platform, has Justin Trudeau become a "ballot question"?
It's DAY 15 for John Wright and me on our daily #cdnpoli podcast - The WRIT Race. A few things you'll learn from today's show. 1) Writs don't get "dropped". 2) John give us a master class on how polls work 3) Justin Trudeau is emerging as a Ballot Question in this campaign. Take 20 minutes. Let us know what you think!
Aug 27, 2021 • 30min
Erin O'Toole's response to the ISIS attack in Kabul and #WhereIsDougFord
Mere hours after a suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole seemed to be heeding John Wright's advice on how to respond to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Liberal campaign insiders are telling the Toronto Star there is no plan to shift direction or hit the reset button on the campaign plan. But Keith Leslie suggested the Trudeau campaign would attempt to Ontario Premier Doug Ford into the campaign. Shortly after we wrapped our recording session, the Liberal leader was taunting Ford on Twitter over his refusal to order vaccine certificates.
Aug 26, 2021 • 14min
"Afghanistan is now the ballot question in Canada's federal election." says John Wright @johnwrightlive
John Wright says the bombings and ISIS attacked near the Kabul airport Thursday afternoon have squarely centred "Afghanistan" as the ballot question that will define the Canadian federal election campaign. And that raises a critical question for the Liberal team. How does Justin Trudeau answer the Afghanistan question? Is this Erin O'Toole's time to breakthrough, not only as the Conservative leader but a leader who is a veteran?
Aug 25, 2021 • 28min
Maryam Monsef calls the Taliban "brothers". Amanda Galbraith @agalbraith calls that a F##K UP!
We engage in an unvarnished discussion with Amanda Galbraith about the state of the federal election campaign. (NOTE: Feminism is her second favourite F-word:) Amanda says we're into the "meh" phase but don't think for a minute that what happens in week's two and three aren't going to affect the outcome. She points to Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef referring to the Taliban as "brothers". It's an example of a Liberal campaign that can't get out of its own way.
Aug 24, 2021 • 32min
Getting to know Erin O'Toole
Sussex Strategy co-founder, Brett James joins John Wright and Dave Trafford in the DAY 9 edition of The WRIT Race. In this episode we talk about everything from Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole's efforts to ingratiate himself to Canadian voters, even if that risks criticism from the right-leaning element of the party's core to the effect of digital campaigns. And we close by remembering Rolling Stones legend, Charlie Watts.
Aug 24, 2021 • 22min
Writ Race Day 8 LIVE STREAM with Dave Trafford and John Wright
ICYMI: John Wright and Dave Trafford did the LIVE STREAM video version of the WRIT Race on Monday afternoon. Here's the audio from the show, if that suits you better. Otherwise, we'd encourage you to check out the YouTube show here. We're also broadcasting on Dave's Facebook page. We plan to do the video version every Monday over the course of the campaign and on Election Night. On Day 8, the Liberals get their hands slapped by Twitter for manipulating an Erin O'Toole video.
Aug 22, 2021 • 22min
What will this election say about Canada and Canadians?
David Skok is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Logic. He joins us in this edition of the WRIT Race to discuss the media's role in covering the federal election campaign in Canada. And asks whether we're focused on the things that really matter. "This will be an election campaign framed as a referendum on Canada’s response to a global pandemic, with parties jockeying for position on how the governing Liberals did or didn’t manage the crisis. But I hope this election will also surface hard questions about the direction of the country."
Aug 22, 2021 • 21min
Whose voice is missing during Canada's federal Election?
In this weekend edition of The WRIT Race, Tony Chapman, host and producer of Chatter That Matters, says the election of Tim Houston's Progressive Conservative in Nova Scotia should signal a shift in how major parties approach election campaigns. Bob Pickard, at Signal Leadership Communications, says the O'Toole Conservatives and Singh New Democrats won the communications battle over Justin Trudeau in week one. And John Cameron at Dalhousie University says some of the most experienced and important voices in Canada aren't being heard during the election campaign.
Aug 20, 2021 • 27min
How are provincial politics affecting the federal election game plans?
Today on The WRIT Race - the daily #cndpoli #podcast, John Wright and Dave Trafford are joined by Keith Leslie and Erin Trafford, who offer up insights into what happened in the #NovaScotia election. Also, will the federal Liberal party be able to resist running against Doug Ford @fordnation in Ontario? And we highlight a Master Class by Sean O'Shea at Global News Toronto on how-to-hold -political-parties-accountable.
Aug 19, 2021 • 20min
Is it realistic to think federal parties can have national election platforms?
Today on The WRIT Race daily #podcast, John Wright and Dave Trafford ponder whether there can be such a thing as a national election platform when the needs of Canadians in Atlanta Canada are different from the issues faced in the prairies and the territories. Also, how will mail-in voting/voter turnout affect the outcome in some key ridings on election day?
