Wag the Doug will return in September, by which time who knows what else Doug Ford will have swallowed. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison and Jonathan talk with Jacobin’s Luke Savage about why the NDP so often provokes indifference, while its American and British counterparts sometimes seem poised to spark revolution. Might a new leader succeed where Andrea Horwath did not? Plus: The Premier’s new cabinet offers unprecedented representation by members of the Ford family. Because it’s 2022. Savage’s new book, The Dead Center, is available for pre-order here. https://www.orbooks.com/catalog/the-dead-center/ This episode...

The PCs are up seven seats from last time, and the opposition parties are down two leaders.  We were going to record this from Doug Ford’s election-night event, but Jonathan wasn’t allowed in. So he and Allison met up after to talk about life in the Second Age of Ford, and what it means when a vindictive government also believes it’s a vindicated one.  This episode is supported by Douglas, Oxio, Ground News, Skipper Otto and How’d You Like That Movie See omnystudio.com/listener for...

As Doug Ford campaigns against fumes, his opponents are increasingly running on them. Less than a week away, the election’s outcome is hardly a foregone conclusion, but the Liberals, at least, have reached chicken-suit levels of desperation. Are they telling us there’s no candour available in all of Del Duca’s vista? Also, Allison and Jonathan consider whether Doug Ford has actually “evolved” (he hasn’t) and why the Star’s Queen’s Park columnist is so convinced that he has.   Further...

Our election coverage continues into week three. This week, there was a weirdly upbeat leaders’ debate, two party leaders got COVID and several trade unions came out in support of Doug Ford and the PCs. Jonathan and Allison break down what it all means. Want to try ad-free? For a limited time, get access to all of Canadaland’s shows ad-free for $1/month for 3 months! Subscribe at canadaland.com/join This episode is supported by Oxio, Ground News, Skipper Otto and How’d You Like That...

On week two of the election campaign, the dirt starts to surface about candidates, the party leaders participate in their first debate and the Liberals release their fully-costed platform.  Links:  Read the Press Progress piece about Stephen Lecce participating in a slave auction: https://pressprogress.ca/ontario-education-minister-stephen-lecce-participated-in-slave-auction-during-time-as-frat-house-leader/ Read that Toronto Life profile of Steven Del Duca:...

Wag the Doug is going weekly for the Ontario election! On the first weekly Wag, Jonathan and Allison talk about Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca’s introductory Youtube series, Ford’s campaign launch, cringey Star Wars memes, transit ideas and plenty more.  Want to try ad-free? For a limited time, get access to all of Canadaland’s shows ad-free for $1/month for 3 months! Subscribe at canadaland.com/join This episode is supported by Oxio, Ground News, Skipper Otto and How'd You Like That...

A listener writes in, wondering why she's getting a rebate cheque in the mail right before an election campaign. Jonathan and Allison take stock of everything the Progressive Conservative Party is doing to secure an election victory, from conveniently-timed cheques to a spree of spending announcements.  Plus, a special announcement about the show. This episode is sponsored by Rotman, Oxio, How’d You Like That Movie, Ground News and Skipper Otto See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

It’s once again that time of year, when the stars of Ontario politics come out to — well, not shine, exactly, so much as drably absorb a depressing fluorescent glow. The 3rd Douggie Awards honour the terrible and hilarious developments of the past 12 months or so that made us laugh ’til we cried or cry 'til we laughed. Allison and Jonathan hand out the prizes, and all signs point to a triumphant night for The Power of the Doug. Additional music credits: Isolation Swing by Admiral Bob (c)...

When the trucker convoy cratered Ottawa, Doug Ford hoped he could turn the other cheek. However, when another protest blocked the Ambassador bridge in Windsor, disrupting his beloved supply chain, he declared a state of emergency to make sure Ontario stayed ‘Open for Business.’ Jonathan and Allison discuss what prompts action from the premier and why he’s behaving differently than his federal Tory cousins.   This episode is supported by Rotman’s Behaviourally Informed Strategy...

The Toronto Sun likes to blast the “unelected” public health officials informing pandemic policy in Ontario. But who’s really calling the shots in Doug Ford’s government? Allison and Jonathan look at the sway held by pollster Nick Kouvalis and PC campaign manager Kory Teneycke. Not only are they unelected — they don’t even work there. This episode is sponsored by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online and Canadian Politics Is Boring. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was only a matter of time before Doug Ford dragged us back into a casino debate. Except this time, it’s not on the waterfront but in your pocket. Allison and Jonathan look at the possibly criminal implications of his government’s new approach to internet gambling, and why you might soon be able to literally place a bet on that. This episode is supported by Rotman’s Negotations program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an election seven months away, Doug Ford’s government has suddenly decided it’s pro-worker. But would any of their proposed reforms actually improve the lives of low-income and gig workers in Ontario? Allison and Jonathan talk to Brice Sopher of Gig Workers United about whether Ford is actually “Working for Workers” or — like many gig workers themselves — is simply taking instructions from app companies. Support Canadaland at canadaland.com/join This episode is sponsored by Rotman’s...

Support us here: https://wtd.supercast.com/ How do you put a smiling, election-ready face on a government that’s done little but slash regulations and mismanage a pandemic? That calls for a brand refresh! Allison and Jonathan look at how Doug Ford’s PCs are positioning themselves as The Party of “Yes,” despite a track record that’s at best full of maybes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Ford used to oppose vaccine passports. Now’s he super in favour. That he changed his mind wasn’t surprising; that he did so before Ontario hit a new crisis point was. With Allison in New York, where she’s coming to love her vaccine passport, she and Jonathan pore over clues as to why Ford reversed himself sooner rather than later. What does it take to change the premier’s mind? This episode is sponsored by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Opened in 1971, Ontario Place was an idealistic effort to celebrate and cement a provincial identity. Fifty years later, and having been left to rot, it’s about to be carved up and privatized by the Doug Ford government. Join Allison and Jonathan as they take a trip to Ontario Place, where past, present, and future collide in an awkward mishmash of ambitions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 25 years, WE built a golden brand by inspiring children to rally around their charismatic leader. But behind the scenes, employees experienced a cult-like culture and a troubling blur of charitable and commercial activities. In the aftermath of a national scandal, thousands of donors and volunteers (and dozens of ‘celebrity ambassadors’) are left wondering where the money went, and whether the savior industry creates a constant need for victims. From CANADALAND, the news company that...

Allison and Jonathan answer listener questions, such as: Will the government really give a boost to personal-support workers? And what’s the deal with Doug Ford’s brother’s hat? Join them as they venture into the Ford Family Extended Universe. Guaranteed more Fords per minute than any other podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Ford is getting ready for next year’s election by increasing donation limits, shuffling his cabinet, and overriding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to pass a law limiting the criticism he’ll face. This sudden bonfire of political capital has our hosts wondering: given the state of Ontario’s opposition parties, just what is Ford so afraid of? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Doug Ford’s Ontario, there’s no problem that can’t be solved by giving police new powers. This time, the issue is human trafficking— which, well that makes sense, right? The reality is far more complicated. Allison and Jonathan talk to Elene Lam of Butterfly, the Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network, who explains how the government’s new Bill 251 will actually cause harm to vulnerable populations that are already criminalized and over-policed. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

With the pandemic reaching new levels of crisis each day, and public anger at the government rising in proportion, how has Doug Ford chosen to spend his evenings? Fundraising! The Ontario PCs have built an enormously effective big-money operation and just passed a new law to entrench it. Allison and Jonathan explore the ways the party collects cash — and how such contributions appear to inform the government’s life-or-death decisions. This episode is sponsored by Images Festival. See...

The GTA has become the site of a massive tow truck turf war. Vehicles have been fire-bombed, a law office has been shot up, and cops face criminal charges for their involvement. And the person in charge of reining in the violence and corruption? Doug Ford. Allison and Jonathan talk with Peter Edwards, the Toronto Star’s organized crime reporter, who explains how this tow truck tumult puts everyone at risk. Correction (March 17 at 4:06 p.m. EDT): This episode erroneously describes Sol Mamakwa...

Laurentian University has filed for creditor protection, while another, opening this fall, has attracted just 47 applicants. What is going on with Ontario’s postsecondary sector? And what can the premier’s own brief college experience tell us about his government’s peculiar approach? Allison and Jonathan also talk to Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, about how the whole business model for Ontario’s colleges and universities has changed dramatically in the past...

It’s the second annual Douggie Awards, where Allison and Jonathan take stock of all the hilarity and abject horror that was the Year in Ford. Who carries home the trophies for “Best Sycophant,” “Most Surreal Moment,” and the always-popular “Most Blatant Conflict of Interest”? Take a stroll down the shoddily constructed blue carpet and join us as we celebrate the worst that Ontario has to offer. Additional music: A Very Busy Day by short hopper (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative...

Doug Ford vowed that those who couldn’t afford rent during the pandemic wouldn’t lose their homes. Instead, he made evictions easier than ever. And now, thanks to online hearings, the bleak indifference of that process is on display for all. Allison and Jonathan look at what it means when housing is chiefly seen as an investment, not a right, and how the province has doubled down on facilitating shareholder profits at the expense of tenants who took the premier at his word. They also talk to...