• The year (and a bit) in review with NDP Leader Marit Stiles
    May 9 2024

    It's been 460 days since Marit Stiles took the NDP's top job. It's been quite the ride. She came in at the height of the Greenbelt scandal and has faced her fair share of intraparty turmoil, like kicking two MPPs from caucus. Recent byelections also haven't been pretty.

    The Leader of the Official Opposition now has to contend with a Liberal Party under Bonnie Crombie looking to regain its footing after two disastrous elections.

    Stiles joined us for a half-hour chat to run through her first year-plus as leader. We touch on everything mentioned above and more, including (but not limited to) the Drake and Kendrick beef.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    26 mins
  • Paul Calandra makes his mark
    Apr 25 2024

    There's been more than a bit of housing news in the past few weeks. The federal government made it the centrepiece of the 2024 budget and announced key measures ahead of time.

    Ontario Housing Minister Paul Calandra also introduced his first major bill aimed at getting the province on the path to building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

    Mike Moffatt joined us again to talk about development charges, third-party appeals, use-it-or-lose-it rules, and the noteworthy taxation changes from the budget. Yes, we also touch on the capital gains tax.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    32 mins
  • Unpacking the carbon tax debate with Tyler Meredith
    Mar 21 2024

    Axe the tax. Spike the hike.

    Judging by how much we hear the Tories talk about carbon pricing, you'd be excused for thinking we're a federal politics publication.

    The Ford government has made opposition to the carbon tax their central message for months. Since the Greenbelt scandal, they've been laser-focused on it.

    They've tried to tie Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie to the policy, calling her the "queen of the carbon tax." Crombie responded to those attacks this week with a climate policy announcement of her own.

    Today, we get into the federal-provincial battle, the Crombie vs. Ford fight, and where the provincial Liberals may end up once they go on record with a new policy.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    27 mins
  • The international student fallout with Mike Moffatt
    Feb 29 2024

    International students have been dominating headlines ever since federal immigration minister Marc Miller announced a cap on student visas to cool overheated rental markets.

    The decision will hurt post-secondary schools' bottom lines at a time when they've been facing stagnant provincial funding and flat tuition revenues.

    Earlier this week, Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop announced a bailout package that came in well short of what a provincially-appointed expert panel said was needed to keep the sector afloat.

    Mike Moffatt, founding director of the PLACE Centre, joins us to get you up to speed on the issue and talk about where it goes from here.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    17 mins
  • Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie
    Dec 20 2023

    Bonnie Crombie hasn't been Liberal leader for three weeks and the Progressive Conservatives are already rolling out the attack ads.

    She sat down to talk to us and started with her warm welcome from Premier Doug Ford — including clearing the air about developers, private jets and second homes in fancy locales.

    We touch on the Peel dissolution, whether she'd pursue it as premier, her evolution on housing and yes-in-my-backyard politics, and why Christmas Eve is the big holiday in the Crombie household.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    15 mins
  • Previewing the Liberal leadership election with Dan Moulton
    Nov 23 2023

    After months of campaigning Ontario Liberals are set to vote on their next leader. Members go to the poll this weekend, Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, before the results are announced in Toronto on Dec. 2 and the new leader is crowned.

    Dan Moulton, longtime Ontario Liberal and partner at Crestview Strategies, joined the pod to talk about the biggest moments in the campaign, what to expect over the next couple of weeks, and how the new leader can unify the party and set themselves up for success in the 2026 election.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    25 mins
  • Ontario's financial future with economist Brian Lewis
    Nov 9 2023

    Brian Lewis was the top economist at Ontario's Ministry of Finance from 2015 to 2022. Before that, he served nearly 30 years in senior positions across government. His time in the civil service spanned Liberal, NDP and Conservative governments.

    So who better to have on to discuss the fall economic statement and Ontario's financial future?

    No one. That's who.


    We touch on the Ford government's evolving approach to provincial finances, what the fall economic statement tells us about the economy, and what to expect with the new Ontario Infrastructure Bank.

    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    34 mins
  • 'The face of Scarborough': Liberal MPP Andrea Hazell
    Oct 26 2023

    One of the newest members of the Ontario legislature sat down with us for an interview you won't want to miss. She's not a typical politician.

    Liberal MPP Andrea Hazell kept Scarborough—Guildwood red in the July 27 byelection to replace Mitzie Hunter.

    Hazell is new to politics but has a long history in community activism. We talk about her unconventional path to becoming an MPP, her boundless energy, the Liberal leadership race, and more.






    "Lost in Translation" theme music by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vangaurd.

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    25 mins