Queen's Park announces that ,back to basics, in Ontario schools means a cellphone and vape ban. Meanwhile, debates ensue over whether the Ford government's new Core Education Funding is a meaningful increase for our public schools. Ottawa gets their own regional office and the most vocal critic is from Doug Ford's own backbench, Nepean MPP Lisa Macleod. But first, a look into the byelections Thursday night, where Progressive Conservatives have kept their grip on Milton and...

Earlier this week, a second unanimous consent vote to reverse a ban on wearing keffiyehs at Queen's Park failed to pass. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath follow up on the ban at Queen's Park and ramifications of it.The Province of Ontario is investing billions into electric vehicle plants from car manufacturing giant Honda. The new plants announced this week are part of a larger plan to make the province into an EV powerhouse, but there have been a few stumbles along the way.The Ontario...

The federal government has tabled its budget, which includes money for municipalities on housing and a tax on the rich. Details have been released piecemeal over the last several weeks, but now Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath will finally be able to digest the whole thing.  Highway 413 has cleared a major hurdle with the federal government removing the need for an environmental assessment. So, will shovels finally get into the ground for this new project? Not so fast, because there are...

Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra unveiled The Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, a new piece of housing legislation designed to get more housing built. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the omnibus bill and look at the housing policy blitz we've seen from both the federal and provincial government.The Office of the Premier has 48 staff members on the Sunshine List, which makes it one of the most expensive incarnations of this office ever. How does...

The Canadian government has announced a new infrastructure fund that would provide billions to provinces and territories to build up wastewater treatment capacity and housing. The money comes with strings that include a pledge to build ,missing middle, housing, which Premier Doug Ford has opposed. The premier says he would rather let municipalities decide what and where to build. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the premier's hesitancy to change course.Ontario has decided...

Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy has unveiled Ontario's budget and it's a big one. The province is spending an unprecedented amount on building infrastructure projects but is expected to see large deficits over the next two years. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath dig into the details. The Ontario Liberal Party has announced their candidate for the Milton byelection, and it's not Bonnie Crombie. Galen Naidoo Harris, the son of former Milton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris, will run....

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has said that if she becomes premier, she will not impose carbon tax on residents. This, among many other announcements, has made this a big week for her. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what's been announced so far. In Your Column, My Column, Steve talks about Roy McMurtry who died on March 18. McMurtry was one of two Ontarians to hold the positions of both attorney general and chief justice of the province's highest court. He also...

Premier Doug Ford has been seen in recent weeks handing out large cheques to cities who have hit their housing targets through the Building Faster Fund. Most recently, he praised Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, whose record is worse than former Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss why the premier is willing to forgive when it comes to certain cities. The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has picked their nominee in the upcoming Milton byelection....

The official opposition is calling on the Ontario government to remove tolls for truckers on Highway 407. Their argument is moving truck traffic to the toll road would save truckers time and taxpayers money while removing the need to build highway 413. But will Doug Ford budge on his plans? The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association is the last union to sign a tentative agreement with the province. If ratified, all the big teacher organizations will then have agreements for the next...

Ontario's provincial government is infusing $1.3 billion into the post-secondary education system, but is it too little and too late? Faced with funding pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic and new regulations around international students, Ontario's higher learning institutions were looking for closer to $2.5 billion and for tuition hikes. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what happens next.Doug Ford has tripled down on his hope to appoint ,like-minded judges, on Ontario courts...

MPPs have returned to Queen's Park after their winter hiatus to a jam-packed schedule with the Ontario PC Government introducing the "Get It Done Act." Steve and John Michael dig into what's in that bill.We're also responding to your questions and comments from the last episode of the podcast. Email us at [email protected] if you have a question you'd like addressed on the show.A note to listeners, audio episodes of the podcast will be dropping on Fridays rather than Tuesdays. #onpoli is...

Late last year, Energy Minister Todd Smith said he'd introduce legislation to reverse a decision made by the Ontario Energy Board. The decision would have put the cost of hooking up new homes to the gas grid onto developers, which, the minister said, would delay shovels getting into the ground. Steve and John Michael discuss the impact of this decision.Online investigative magazine The Narwhal is reporting that the Government of Ontario is planning to expand its powers to expropriate land....

The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed a request that would allow for the release of the Government of Ontario's mandate letters. While the decision puts an end to one hot button issue, it may have spawned another surrounding transparency in the government's decision-making processes. Olivia Chow's gambit to lower the tax hike for Torontonians seems to have paid off. The Federal government has announced $362.4 million dollars in funding for refugee supports without which, Chow said, the...

Private emails sent between two aides have added a new chapter to the Greenbelt scandal that has plagued the Ontario PC Party. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how this revelation might affect public confidence in government decisions.A new cap on the number of international students could see Ontario's post-secondary schools facing dire financial straits. Schools are saying the decision was rushed, the Federal government says the two-year pause is necessary.Parm Gill, MPP for...

The Government of Ontario is set to expand the number of private health clinics allowed to perform certain types of surgeries and diagnostic procedures. Critics say the plan will further burden the healthcare system by pulling away hospital staff, while supporters say it's a necessary step to help struggling hospitals. Mike Schreiner has called on the Attorney General to probe the recent deal allowing for ServiceOntario kiosks in Staples stores. Part of that announcement included the planned...

It's a new year, but the same old priorities for the Government of Ontario: Housing, affordability, and healthcare. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how they're going to, as Doug Ford says, ,Get it done?,Toronto has released a first look at its budget. The city has a huge deficit to fill and a property tax hike seems to be the answer, but how have Torontonians responded to that? Not well.Cyber-attacks seem to be growing and it feels like it's only a matter of time before the...

The Region of Peel will remain whole for the foreseeable future, bringing a close to a months-long ordeal for the workers in the region. Regional staff were working toward a January 2025 timeline to dissolve the region, but now the transition board assigned to oversee that will look to create efficiencies instead. So, why cancel the deal? Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the details and the shrewd politics involved.The sale of alcohol is expanding in the Province of Ontario to...

Last week, newly minted Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie made her first appearances at Queen's Park. While she spoke about her priorities as leader, she also fired back against Doug Ford who had launched a series of attacks on her over luxury cars and a cottage in the Hamptons. The problem? She doesn't have either of those.Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath then look into the auditor general of Ontario's latest report. The report revealed that the business case for moving the Ontario...

From mayor of Mississauga to new Ontario Liberal leader, Bonnie Crombie has seen a political rise over the last few years. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath dig into what's next for her and the challenges ahead.Ontario's Green Party has a new MPP in Kitchener-Centre. Aislinn Clancy won her seat by a wide margin last week and doubled the size of her party's caucus. Could this be the start of a green wave? A mini wave?And the province has unveiled a so-called business case for moving the...

Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow have made an agreement that will give Canada's largest city billions in exchange for it stepping out of the way for a spa planned for Ontario Place.Then, Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what could happen at the December 2nd Ontario Liberal Leadership Election. How will votes from student and women's associations play into who gets to lead the party into the next election? Will there be drama? Who will win? And they discuss the...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the upcoming Ontario Liberal leadership election. Bonnie Crombie, Nate Erskine-Smith, Ted Hsu, and Yasir Naqvi have made their case as to why they should lead the party into the 2026 election, but we'll have to wait and see who will get the top spot. Stay connected to #onpoli and the latest politics across Ontario and at Queen’s Park: https://www.tvo.org/ For questions or to suggest topics, email us at [email protected] Listen to more TVO...

Last week, Bonnie Lysyk, Ontario's auditor general, released a report detailing recent changes to the Greenbelt and how there’s evidence of bias in the selection of lands that were removed. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what's been levied against Doug Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, and what steps the government will take to fix their process. Stay connected to #onpoli and the latest politics across Ontario and at Queen’s Park:...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath get caught up on all things Ontario during the month of July including the two Ontario Liberal byelection victories, a debate about age in Ontario politics, and how an ill-advised new title for Ontario lawyers is a off-brand misstep for Doug Ford. John Michael's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/fighting-the-housing-crisis-will-take-more-than-just-a-cabinet-shuffle-in-ottawa Steve Paikin's column:...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the results of the Toronto mayoral by-election, and how the city's politics will shake out over the next few years under Olivia Chow's leadership.It's letter time! It's letter time! We take a read through the podcast mailbag to answer all the questions we couldn't get to over the last few weeks. Can the United States sue Canada over wildfire smoke? How far back does Ontario's financial debt go? And who are the political Crombies of the...