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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 the 25th Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader, (and Wynne’s erstwhile parliamentary sparring partner), Tim Hudak, John Wright, our veteran pollster and co-founding host, Keith Leslie, veteran Queen’s Park broadcast journalist, and Dave Trafford, Chief Executive Producer at Story Studio Network.

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What's next for the Ontario Liberal Party and Kathleen Wynne?

This is part two of my sitdown conversation with the Honourable Kathleen Wynne.  We talk about the future of the party she led and what's in the cards for her immediate future? Ontario’s Liberal leadership race is about more than choosing a new leader. In this conversation, Kathleen argues the party needs to use the contest to demonstrate what it actually stands for — and, more importantly, what it would actually do. With the final leadership vote coming in November, she says Liberals need to move beyond criticism of Doug Ford and offer practical, understandable solutions to problems confronting Ontario. She points specifically to education, post-secondary funding, OSAP, healthcare and the reliance on agency nurses. The leadership race, she argues, provides an opportunity to position the party as a credible problem solver rather than simply an opposition voice. Kathleen draws a parallel to 2003, when Dalton McGuinty and his team developed practical responses to problems they believed had been created under the Harris government. She suggests the next Liberal leader could follow the leadership contest with some form of policy convention — taking the strongest ideas from the campaign and turning them into a broader conversation about the party’s direction. The conversation also provides an insider’s perspective on leadership campaigns themselves. Kathleen recalls the unusual challenge of debating people who are political competitors but also friends and future colleagues. Winning an internal race, she says, means eventually working with the candidates, their supporters, MPPs and riding associations — making it important to keep lines of communication open. Then the conversation becomes decidedly more personal. Kathleen explains her decision to step back from regular media commitments after decades immersed in politics and public life. She talks about family, grandchildren, teaching, aging, the demands of caregiving and her desire to be more spontaneously available to the people who matter to her. It becomes a thoughtful farewell conversation about politics, family, careers — and the costs that come with choosing where to spend our time. You can watch OR listen to this episode on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@davetraffordpodcasts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube Channel </a>(Be sure to subscribe!) Follow Dave on <a href="https://facebook.com/dave.trafford.5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/davetrafford" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-trafford-06584426/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a> and<a href="https://x.com/PodcastPWR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> X</a> And you can leave us a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/ontheledge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voice comment here</a>! For more information go to <a href="https://davetrafford.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dave's website</a>.

September 16, 2026 at 7:00a.m. EDT

Who will blink first in the Canada-US Trade War?

What the hell happened? Canada’s trade relationship with the United States has gone from tense to an all-out trade war.  In this special edition of On the Ledge with Dave Trafford, we trace how negotiations unravelled, how Donald Trump’s threatened 50% tariffs escalated the confrontation, and what the fallout could mean for Ontario workers, businesses and the auto sector. Monday, the war of words went nuclear, starting with Ontario Premier Doug Ford telling Newstalk 1010's Bill Carroll "(Trump) can kiss my ass). Tuesday, I drop in on the Gene Valaitis Show on 610 CKTB News, to update the latest in Doug Ford’s blunt response to Trump, the Presidents threat to rename Lake Ontario and the debate over whether Canada should retaliate with tariffs, energy, oil, potash and other strategic resources. We also discussion also examines the potentially devastating impact on businesses dependent on the U.S. market — and why Americans could ultimately pay through higher prices and scarcity. On Wednesday morning, former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne joins me for a deeper look at what she calls “uncharted waters.” We discuss Mark Carney’s decision to walk away from the negotiating table, Canadian sovereignty, national unity, Alberta separatism, the future of North American trade and the particular vulnerability of Ontario’s auto industry. Wynne also looks beyond Washington. As Canada tries to diversify its trading relationships, China presents both economic opportunity and significant strategic risk. And with U.S. midterm elections approaching, we ponder whether political change in Washington would actually bring Canada any closer to resolving the trade war. Chapters 00:00 — Introduction: How the Canada-U.S. Trade Deal Fell Apart Dave sets up a chaotic week that ended with 50% tariffs and an escalating trade war. 02:35 — Doug Ford, Donald Trump and the Politics of Retaliation Dave’s CKTB conversation examines Ford’s response, counter-tariffs, energy threats and the immediate risks to Canadian jobs and businesses. 16:58 — Kathleen Wynne: Canada Enters “Uncharted Waters” The former Ontario premier discusses political uncertainty, national unity, Mark Carney and Canada’s decision to walk away from the U.S. negotiations. 28:46 — Who Really Pays for a Canada-U.S. Trade War? Tariffs, product scarcity, American businesses and the escalating economic consequences on both sides of the border. 38:10 — Ontario’s Auto Industry Faces an Existential Threat Wynne and Trafford examine auto tariffs, plant investment, EV policy and whether manufacturing jobs could migrate south. 47:17 — China, Free Trade and What Comes Next As the North American trading relationship fractures, Canada confronts new opportunities — and risks — in China and other global markets. You can watch OR listen to this episode on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@davetraffordpodcasts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube Channel </a>(Be sure to subscribe!) Follow Dave on <a href="https://facebook.com/dave.trafford.5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/davetrafford" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-trafford-06584426/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a> and<a href="https://x.com/PodcastPWR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> X</a> And you can leave us a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/ontheledge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voice comment here</a>! For more information go to <a href="https://davetrafford.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dave's website</a>.

August 27, 2026 at 8:53p.m. EDT

We Interrupt This Summer Recess at Queen's Park

It's an EMERGENCY SESSION of On the Ledge - your Ontario politics podcast! This special summer edition of On the Ledge breaks from the usual hiatus to examine a turbulent stretch in Ontario politics. Dave Trafford is joined by veteran Queen's Park journalists Jessica Smith Cross (Editor-in-Chief at The Trillium) and Keith Leslie , (Former Queen's Park Bureau Chief, The Canadian Press), to assess how a series of controversies has altered the political landscape heading into the fall. The discussion explores the Ford government's mounting challenges, including the fallout from the government Gravy Plane fiasco, MPP expense claims scandal, caucus tensions, declining public approval, and an increasingly "off-brand" image for Premier Doug Ford. And then...there's the federal decision to pause Billy Bishop Airport expansion, and Ford Nation's uncoordinated response - starting with a veiled threat from the province to stop the federal plans for a high speed rail corridor between Ontario and Quebec. All this while Doug Ford's government is roundly criticized for Ontario's wildfire response or lack thereof. Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop was ill=prepared for a recent radio interview she did on As It Happens. (It was a comms disaster that cost Dunlop's press secretary her job. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/as-it-happens/id151485559?i=1000777792763" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LISTEN TO IT HERE</a>)  And heading into August teacher contract negotiations are going nowhere, while the province's preparedness for AI data centres. The conversation analyzes how these stories have been covered by journalists, why they are resonating with the public, and what they could mean for Ontario politics when the Legislature returns this fall. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Summer Political Reset Dave Trafford welcomes Jessica Smith Cross and Keith Leslie for a special summer roundtable examining Ontario's biggest political stories. 02:05 – Expense Scandals, the "Gravy Plane" & Ford's Brand How MPP expense claims, leaked caucus memos and the government aircraft controversy have reshaped public perception of the Ford government. 23:45 – Billy Bishop Airport, Federal Pushback & Political Fallout The panel discusses Ottawa's decision to pause Billy Bishop expansion, provincial reactions, and the broader implications for federal-provincial relations. 35:30 – Wildfires, Forest Management & Emergency Response Ontario's record wildfire season, evacuation challenges, forestry policy and questions surrounding government preparedness. 51:45 – Looking Ahead to Fall Politics Teacher contract negotiations, AI data centre regulation, and the political issues likely to dominate Ontario's agenda when the Legislature returns. You can watch OR listen to this episode on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@davetraffordpodcasts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube Channel </a>(Be sure to subscribe!) Follow Dave on <a href="https://facebook.com/dave.trafford.5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/davetrafford" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-trafford-06584426/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a> and<a href="https://x.com/PodcastPWR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> X</a> And you can leave us a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/ontheledge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voice comment here</a>! For more information go to <a href="https://davetrafford.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dave's website</a>.

July 30, 2026 at 1:30p.m. EDT