Ontario Loud

Former political staffers Sam Andrey, Chris Martin, Alvin Tedjo, Garima Talwar-Kapoor and Alexi White used to give advice to Ontario cabinet ministers. Join them for a regular, open, and frank discussion on the policy and strategy behind current political events in Ontario.

Election Night 2021 09/21/2021

Election Night 2021 We're back baby! Temporarily! Recording an election night pod is just so damn fun that we put one together to talk about the new Liberal Minority government, despite the fact that we will continue to be on break for just a little bit longer while our hosts get their lives together to be able to do this again. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/20545247

Pod's. Out. For. Summer! 07/06/2021

Pod's. Out. For. Summer! You all sent us so many questions to answer in our END OF SEASON MAILBAG! We talk about catholic schools, electoral reform, ranked ballots, Kyky's Kookies, affordable housing, civility in politics, and so, so much more. Thank you to all of you for a wonderful season, and we will see you in the Fall. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19715057

Ford quietly shuts down prison oversight 06/29/2021

Ford quietly shuts down prison oversight We took a bit of a breather this week, but Chris did sit down with Rebecca Jesseman, former chair of the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre Community Advisory Board (CAB), which was a community-led oversight body that had access to the facility and recommended ways to improve conditions. Naturally this was unacceptable to the Ford government. Sigh. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19639463

A very badly made cabinet 06/22/2021

A very badly made cabinet Sam, Chris, Alvin and Garima dive into all the politics that are underway as we head into summer. Between cabinet shuffles, election platform planks and new attack ads, it's clear Ontario's political parties are gearing up to take the fight to the streets in Hot Vax Summer. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19557587

Notwithstanding this government... amirite? 06/15/2021

Notwithstanding this government... amirite? While most Ontarians were out enjoying nice weather and the company of other humans, Doug Ford recalled the legislature to pass a bill to make more favourable campaign conditions for himself. Sigh. We also talk racism in the OPS, Maxine Bernier, floor crossings, and more. Big week. Big pod. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19480241

We have to talk about Arthur 06/08/2021

We have to talk about Arthur We talk about the pending cabinet shuffle, Doug Ford's negotiations over school closures with a child, pride, and so much more. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19394732

A crime against humanity Canada doesn't treat as such 06/01/2021

A crime against humanity Canada doesn't treat as such Garima, Sam, Chris, and Alvin talk about the horrendous truth Canadians were faced with, as 215 dead children were found at a residential school in British Columbia, and what more we need to do. A new Chief Medical Officer of Health and Secretary of Cabinet are also discussed, bum seem and are less important. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19305461

Every Day is Not Leg Day 05/26/2021

Every Day is Not Leg Day Good Bill/Bad Bill/Sketchy Bill returns, as we wrap up all the pending legislation in the Ontario legislature before the session ends for the summer. Journalist Sabrina Nanji joins us as we also talk about the province's reopening plan, and the PEQAB rejection of Charles McVety's Canada Christian College. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19246211

"Protect the King" 05/18/2021

"Protect the King" Doug Ford's Premier's Office considers a bold new leadership strategy involving... keeping Doug Ford away from the spotlight. Is this smart politics? We dive into this, the recent pandemic decisions, and the auditor general report on $4.4B in COVID initiatives given the full auditor treatment. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/19144889

May the Ford not be with us much longer 05/05/2021

May the Ford not be with us much longer This week we talk the province's new vaccine plans, paid sick days, and what the long-term care commission had to say about the Ontario government's handling of the long-term care sector, and why we saw the disaster we saw. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18979880

Is it too late now to say sorry? 04/27/2021

Is it too late now to say sorry? It's been a week of tears, frustration, agony, and many now capitulation on paid sick days? But probably not. Karim Bardeesy joins to talk about whot he conservatives could implement paid sick days while keeping their principles in tact. We talk about pandemic recovery & how the feds are thinking about it. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18875330

Total Failure of Government 04/21/2021

Total Failure of Government Folks, friends, we always tell you the truth. We always make the tough decisions. And today is no different. Chris, Alvin, Garima and Sam talk to you about the total catastrophe that is the Ford government's management of COVID-19 as Ontario is set to see cases exceed 10,000 per day. Oh - also an amazing federal budget was released. We talk about that too. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18802892

The Disaster is Here 04/13/2021

The Disaster is Here The engine light was on for miles before this, but Doug Ford kept driving that car. With the wheels now falling off the car completely, we are living through a very frightening time. We reflect on that, while looking ahead to what the NDP and the Liberal Party of Canada have to say about the kinds of policies progressives can look forward to if they form government. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18702410

Keep Your Doug Lockdown, Your Doug Shutdown 04/06/2021

Keep Your Doug Lockdown, Your Doug Shutdown We talk about the necessary, but late and incoherent announcement of another provincewide shutdown to deal with rising COVID-19 cases, the province's relationships with developers and how that might be informing it's advocacy over the 413, and the vaccine plant coming to Toronto just in time for the next pandemic. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18619424

Beep Boop Another Conservative Budget 03/30/2021

Beep Boop Another Conservative Budget Despite unprecedented challenges facing the province, Ontario announces a budget that puts our money into... underwhelming healthcare investments and reducing the deficit. While COVID case counts rise, the Premier's Office is embroiled in a scandal everyone knew about where the Premier's Press Sec is dating a QP Gallery member. Sigh. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18530885

Amazon Fever 03/16/2021

Amazon Fever We discuss the various impacts that Amazon is having in Ontario Politics currently, from almost destroying but then saving a protected wetland in Pickering, to giving a bunch of workers in Brampton COVID. We also discuss the Premier's racist remarks in the legislature. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18340205

Nah-ffordable Housing 03/10/2021

Nah-ffordable Housing The crew covers the FAO's report on affordable housing and homelessness, revelations from the long-term-care commission that Minister Merilee Fullerton recommended moving faster than the government was willing to in long-term-care homes, vaccines, and an interview with Miles Corak on EI. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18262763

Welcome to Smarch 03/02/2021

Welcome to Smarch Chris, Alvin, Garima and Sam talk about the Ford government's changes to elections and campaign finance, the secret deal to sell a downtown property over the wishes of the community, and a report on how social assistance administration will change. NDP MP Candidate Brian Chang joins to talk campaigning during the pandemic. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18154943

Good Bill? Bad Bill? Sketchy Bill? 02/23/2021

Good Bill? Bad Bill? Sketchy Bill? Chris, Alvin, and Sam dive through all the pre-budget legislation on-tap for Spring 2020. From privatization, to paid sick days, to porch pirates and cat-declawing - it's an electic one. Ontario Tech University's Dr. Barbara Perry joins us to talk about the reach of the far right in Ontario. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/18053933

Hard Valentimes 02/16/2021

Hard Valentimes Sam talks to Gayle Nathanson of the Coalition to End Online Hate. Garima, Chris and Sam talk love, romance, upsetting COVID modelling and governance, Ontario's economic outlook, and a quick interlude about Phoebe Bridgers (letting Chris write these may be a mistake). /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17960378

Failing the Marshmallow Test 02/10/2021

Failing the Marshmallow Test We talk about the shocking insolvency of Laurentian University with Higher Education expert Alex Usher, the COVID-19 reopening, the government’s continued fumbling of the autism file, and and we dive into what is try, and not true, about how much money the province has left. Big pod for a big week. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17896229

500 Days of Winter 02/02/2021

500 Days of Winter January 2021 continues forever with an exhausting COVID response from the Ford government, attacks on medical experts like Dr. David Fisman, but also some genuinely good news related to sexual assault and violence regulations pertaining to universities and colleges. Garima interviews the Broadbent Institute's Brittany Andrew-Amofah on the importance of paid sick leave. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17783957

Biden our time in 2021 01/26/2021

Biden our time in 2021 Garima, Sam, Chris and Alvin dive back into our government's dismal handling of the pandemic over the last several weeks, the firing of Rod Phillips from Cabinet, the vaccine distribution, predictions for 2021 and so much more. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17691212

Goodbye and Good Riddance (2020) 12/22/2020

Goodbye and Good Riddance (2020) Alexi, Sam, Garima, and Chris talk about the year that has been, good things that have happened, the most worrying of the bad things, over and under-reported stories - and we say goodbye to a friend. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17281970

Is 2020 over yet? 12/15/2020

Is 2020 over yet? There's finally light at the end of the tunnel with a new climate change plan, and a vaccine rolling out in Ontario. We also dive into the FAO report on the Ford government's slow pace of pandemic spending, and their weird private paid testing system. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17202410

Is Doug Ford finally getting less popular? 12/08/2020

Is Doug Ford finally getting less popular? Alvin, Alexi and Chris talk about Doug Ford's slipping poll numbers, the slipping economy, mass resignations on the Greenbelt Council, and problematic findings of the Long-Term Care Commission. Is the Honeymoon with Doug Ford, that we went on two years into our marriage, over?! /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17106038

How to lose an Auditor General in 10 Days 12/01/2020

How to lose an Auditor General in 10 Days Alexi, Alvin, Chris and Sam talk about the wild week in Ontario Politics that we just had, including the government's response to the AG report on COVID, UberEats charges, performance based funding in higher education, and even some Charles McVety talk! Kory Preston joins to talk to us about the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/17009498

OSAP & Chill 11/24/2020

OSAP & Chill Trapped in our homes once again, Alexi, Sam, and Chris reflect briefly on the lockdown and Mister Lecce's semi-public musing about temporarily closing schools. Later, they DIVE into Dive student aid - a story about the transformation of OSAP that Sam helped to create starring Deb Matthews, Sheldon Levy, Kathleen Wynne, Alex Usher, and many, many more. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/16932173

OSAP & Chill 11/24/2020

Covidiot Wind 11/17/2020

Covidiot Wind Chris, Alvin, Alexi and Garima vent about the new provincial COVID modelling, try to take apart what it is that brought us to this point, and where we could go from here. MPP Lucille Collard joins the pod to talk about issues facing Eastern Ontario. /episode/index/show/ontarioloud/id/16839590

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