#onpoli, a TVO podcast

The notwithstanding clause allows governments to set aside certain charter rights and supersede the courts on decisions. Quebec's Bill 21 has set up the latest fight between the premiers and the prime minister over how it can be used. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the historic precedents that set out its use.

Ontario's handling of the Skills Development Fund is under the microscope following an auditor general's rep...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath sit down with Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles to discuss the aftermath of her recent leadership review. Where does she take the party now?

Jim Bradley, the longtime MPP for St. Catharines, has died. Steve and John Michael look at his legacy as one of the most influential environment ministers in the province's history.

Algoma Steel has received financial support from the federal government and ...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the fallout of shutting down speed cameras. What will municipalities do next?

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles had a bruising leadership review. Unlike Bonnie Crombie, she's staying on the job — but the same can't be said for some of her top staffers. Steve and John Michael discuss where the party goes from here. 

Ontario has announced its latest round of funding for...

Bonnie Crombie resigned as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party after a disappointing leadership review. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how her vote collapsed, how she left the party in better shape, and who comes next.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles is set to undergo her own leadership review. The party is doing objectively worse than the Ontario Liberals, so Steve and John Michael dissect her chances - and how this...

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is facing a leadership review during the party's annual general meeting. It's a make-or-break vote that will speak volumes about the party's confidence in its new leader. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what happens next.

Doug Ford and the PC Party are astonishingly popular despite the premier's unpopularity. What gives? Steve and John Michael look into how Ford's reputation as Ca...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled design plans for Ontario Place once it reopens, including a five-storey parking structure. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down this development and look at the timeline of what happens next.

Sweltering temperatures in classrooms have the government of Ontario and school boards pointing fingers while students sizzle in the heat. Steve and John Michael discuss what schools are doing to ...

Project Ontario is a grassroots organization calling on the Ontario government to adopt more fiscally conservative policies. But how does their charge stand up against Premier Doug Ford's three majority governments? Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what conservatives are saying.

A new report from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario revealed that Doug Ford's staff members were using code words to talk ab...

The legislature has broken for the summer with MPPs set to return in October. Why such a long break? Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath dig into the hiatus.

The Council of the Federation is set to meet in the Muskoka region this summer amidst threats of road and rail blockades after the passage of Bill 5.

And wildfire season is raging in the province of Ontario, so what's the government doing about it?

Steve's column: https://ww...

Resistance to Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing its Economy Act, is heating up as it passed into law this week at Queen's Park. Will the bill lead to highway blockades and a resurgence of the Idle No More movement? Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the growing dissent toward the government's attempt to fast-track infrastructure projects.

Members of Provincial Parliament are receiving a pay boost after nearly 15 ...

For third time ever, the monarch read the Government of Canada's speech from the throne. King Charles III reiterated Canada's sovereignty and ran through a laundry list of government priorities. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the speech.

The Government of Ontario is amending Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, after pressure from Indigenous groups. Steve and JMM dig into the changes the bill...

A 19-year-old man is facing impaired driving charges after a crash that killed three children. The incident has some wondering if the province needs to implement even tougher rules for driving under the influence. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath weigh on what's happened and what's been done.

Municipalities across Ontario are installing speed and red light cameras, but Premier Doug Ford isn't too happy hearing from drivers who...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney outlining what projects he believes are in Ontario's best economic interest. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how the relationship between the two levels of government is unfolding.

Ontario's budget is being delivered on May 15th, but, unlike in the past, announcements on the province's spending aren't tightly guarded secrets. Steve and John Mich...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford launched into a tirade against Ontario's judges during a press conference about strengthening the province's bail system. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how we got to the point where the premier says we need to elect judges.

The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario has dire news on the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs. How bad will the economic fallout be?

And the measles outbreak is o...

It was by a narrow margin that Liberal leader Mark Carney declared victory last night to become Canada's 24th prime minister. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the race as it unfolded and the role Ontario's voters played.

Steve's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/analysis-they-left-queens-park-for-ottawa-did-voters-follow

JMM's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/analysis-what-mark-carney-must-learn-from-kathleen-w...

Minister of Education Paul Calandra is sending investigators to several school boards in Ontario to probe their finances, and, in one case, is recommending the ministry take control. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss how this happened.

Could Donald Trump's trade threats lead to an improved interprovincial electrical transmission system? Advocates certainly hope that's the case, and it would be much needed as consumption...

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath look back on the Federal debate where Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh duked it out.

Who was the big winner? Who was the big loser? Who had the best moment? Will this change the election's outcome? What's it like watching this from the moderator's ringside ...

Members of provincial Parliament have returned to Queen's Park and there's already a flurry of activity. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the first week back and what's to come.

Flamborough-Glanbrook MPP Donna Skelly was elected as the legislature's first female Speaker. It's an important role in the parliamentary system, and Steve and JMM take a deeper dive into what she'll be expected to do.

The New York Times has...

The 90-day reprieve on Donald Trump's global tariffs do not extend to Canada, so Ontario is offering tax breaks for businesses. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss why these temporary measures might need to be followed by long term solutions.

There will be a 2-year feasibility study into Doug Ford's plan for a tunnel underneath the 401. Steve and JMM discuss the project's inevitable high price tag and other ways the provi...