The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What’s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from...
Guest: Toronto Star health reporter Megan Ogilvie Ontario is racing towards a snap election on February 27 and for a lot of voters, two issues loom well above the rest: housing and healthcare. Both are at breaking point and both are dominating party platforms. As part of the Star's pre-election coverage, we’re delving into these issues. Where do things really stand, are any of the candidates offering actual solutions, and what should you, the voters, be thinking about as you head to the polls? Today’s episode will focus on healthcare. With overflowing ERs, health-care worker burn-out and more than two million people without a family doctor, Ontario’s healthcare has been in trouble for years. Can anyone bring it back on track? Audio sources: Global News, CTV, CBC, Youtube This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz
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21:59
Debating over the long weekend
Guests: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie and Queen’s Park reporter Rob Ferguson On Valentine’s Day, and then again on Family Day, the provincial leaders engaged in this Ontario campaign’s two debates. Rob and Rob from our Queen’s Park bureau recap why they may be the most substantial events of the campaign so far, allowing viewers to dig into many of the issues that define life in the province. They also discuss whether they heard any “kill shots” or “knock-out punches” from the podiums — and what the best lines and most noteworthy exchanges were. And then they discuss what’s happened since: the polls, the fight between the Liberals and the NDP to poach each other’s voters, and Doug Ford’s preparations for a second trip out of the country during the campaign. PLUS: The crudely confrontational challenge that Bonnie Crombie issued to Doug Ford on Wednesday This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.
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36:25
Ontario’s campaign goes south
Guest: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie During an election campaign, it’s unusual for a premier to take his campaign to stops in foreign countries — but these are unusual times, and this is an unusual Ontario election. The Star’s Robert Benzie joined Doug Ford and Canada’s other premier’s on their visit to a snowy Washington, D.C. this week and tells us who they met with, what they are hoping to accomplish, and the prospects for success in getting their message through when the entire U.S. government is in Trump-inspired chaos. Benzie also unpacks what this might mean for the Ontario election race, and why Ford might prefer to be seen in the U.S. — where approximately none of his voters live — rather than knock on doors here at home. PLUS: What does talk of Canada as the 51st state have in common with a dead cat? This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.
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33:53
What’s at stake for Toronto in the provincial election
Guest: Toronto Star City Hall Bureau Chief Ben Spurr The city, we often hear, is a “creature of the province,” and as such almost all city hall business hangs on the indulgence of the premier. So for Toronto, the stakes in the provincial election would seem to be high. It’s not hard to think of specific examples of issues that could turn based on the results, from bike lanes to Ontario Place to safe injection sites, to the ongoing negotiations about the “new deal” financial plan. Even more broadly, the current premier has taken an activist, micro-managing approach to Toronto, and central policies like housing and transit depend on provincial funding. City Hall Bureau Chief Ben Spurr and host Edward Keenan discuss a range of things that could change for Toronto based on this election, and about why you don’t hear much in the way of specific talk about the Toronto angle from the leaders in debates. PLUS: Why Mayor Olivia Chow has been quiet about the campaign, and is unlikely to endorse anyone. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.
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27:50
Trump week on the Ontario campaign trail
Guests: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie and Queen’s Park reporter Rob Ferguson Doug Ford looked strong in announcing retaliatory measures planned in response to threatened tariffs from Donald Trump, but then after that threat was put on pause, comments he made privately about celebrating the U.S. president’s victory became a problem, and even a potential turning point in the election. Our Queen’s Park team explains what’s happened and what it all could mean, and also discusses the role the opposition leaders hope health care policy will play in the election, the emergence of highways as a major issue for two of the parties, and what the polls tell us midway through the campaign. PLUS: Why a winter campaign has campaigns shouting “drill baby drill.” This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.
The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What’s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Saba Eitizaz and Ed Keenan talk to their fellow journalists, experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.
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