On The Ledge

This is our 62nd episode of @OnTheLedgePcast and our final show for 2019. Our usual suspects, John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford are here along with special guests John Michael McGrath and Steve Paikin from TVO's @theAgenda. John Michael and Steve also produce and host the #OnPoli podcast. Their show gets down in the weeds - whereas On The Ledge gets down in the mud! We will take a hiatus for a few weeks while the legislature takes its Christmas/winter break. So be sure to subscribe to the podcast. That way you won't miss a thing! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Hope you enjoy the show.

It's becoming clear that #sewergate in the City of Hamilton will not only be a municipal election issue in 2022, it will likely test the Steeltown MPPs running for re-election in two and a half years. Meanwhile, the ongoing standoff between the province and the teachers' unions is a point of aggravation and weariness for students and parents who face one day class disruptions - including one day walkouts by secondary school teachers. The On The Ledge team says the messaging from both sides is Shakespearean - "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury sigifying nothing." (Who says a general arts degree doesn't come in handy from time to time?:)

Best estimates suggest 24 billion litres of raw sewage has been dumped into Chedoke Creek in Hamilton, Ontario. City council knew about the leak prior to the 2018 municipal election but it only came to light through recent reporting by the Hamilton Spectator. Laura Babcock, President of Powergroup Communications joins the On The Ledge panel this week. She says Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger has no option but to resign over the scandal. Meanwhile, public high school teachers across Ontario are prepared to stage a one day strike on December 4th, 2019. The OSSTF says contract negotiations with the province are going nowhere.

There were all kinds of predictions that Ontario Premier Doug Ford's meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be more of a stand off than a sit down. But that wasn't the case. All indications are Ford and Trudeau had a productive discussion and left the name calling on the campaign trail. And less than a month before school's out for the Christmas holiday break and, so far, it's been business as usual in the classroom while teachers' unions negotiate new contracts with the provincial government. But that is about to change. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will join the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) in a work-to-rule staring Nov. 26. But does that mean we're on a path to work stoppages across the province?

Organized labour organized a demonstration outside MPP Donna Skelly's Hamilton office this past week - all because of a comment the premier made in response to a question from Skelly. Skelly basically teed up a friendly question and Doug Ford replied with friendly fire. The premier also made news when it was announced that Canada's premiers will be meeting in the GTA on December 2nd. It gives the provinces the chance to have a unified message in a unified voice before the federal government gets back to business with a new throne speech.

Is there a movement to draft Jane Philpott as a Liberal leadership candidate? Is it time for the New Democrats to replace Andrea Horwath? It’s nearly universally acknowledged that Ford Nation spent its time well during the five-month recess at Queen’s Park if, for no other reason than, it changed its tone and approach, finally shifting from “campaign” to “governing” mode. And the ON THE LEDGE panel says that’s made it more difficult for the opposition to lay a glove on the Tories.  The question then is how will the change in tone by the PCs effect the immediate and longer-term strategies of the opposition NDP and Liberals.

Ontario’s Finance Minister Rod Phillips delivered the Fall Economic Statement in the legislature this week and it was criticized by the left and the right. The opposition NDP accuse the Ford government of making drastic cuts to programs and services while staunch conservatives shout about Ford spending more than the Kathleen Wynne government. Getting heat from both sides suggests to Phillips they got the balance just about right. They’ve added cash to health and education, focused on some tax relief, (especially for small business) and have a plan to flatten the deficit a year into their next mandate. Above all, the ON THE LEDGE crew agrees this Economic Statement is a much needed reset for Ford Nation.

The Ontario legislature was back in business this past week after a nearly five month recess. Things kicked off with a "day of action" demonstration by public service unions but it wasn't as spirited as one may have expected. The ON THE LEDGE panel chalks that up to an obvious change of tone from Premier Doug Ford. There was some barbs in house during Question Period but there was a noticeable change in behaviour. Spectator could not only hear the questions, they could hear the answers. Premier Ford may be speaking softly but it would be wrong to think he doesn't still carry a big stick.

The federal election is in the rearview mirror and there have been a few Doug Ford sightings as the Ontario legislation prepares to get back to business. There is a noticeable change in tone from the Ontario premier but it's pretty clear that Ford's office is prepared to continue its war with the media. Keith Leslie says Ford remains in a bubble and is conducting public business behind closed doors. CTV Queen's Park Bureau Chief Colin D'Mello joins this week's edition of the On The Ledge Podcast

This is a special EXTRA edition of On the Ledge. John Wright, Keith Leslie and Dave Trafford explore the question of leadership as an underlying ballot question in Canada's federal election. There are several provincial and regional issues that have surfaced during the federal campaign but they have only been "used to divide" Canadians rather than viewed as matters that require federal attention and leadership. There has been a presumption that this campaign was a referendum on Premier Doug Ford's leadership in Ontario. But considering the way the polls have developed, it's apparent that this election may well be a referendum on leadership right across the country. Given the the voter mood, it would be easy to suggest Canadians have recognized a complete void of leadership on issues they need addressed.