#topoli

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.

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.

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.

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.

Doug Ford's stunning decision to reverse the Greenbelt land swap has dominated the last two weeks of provincial politics. 

The 11-month scandal claimed two ministers, two senior staff, and several points in the polls. 

On today's podcast, Hill and Knowlton's Will Stewart and StrategyCorp's Aidan Grove-White give their thoughts on the move and how it could still affect the Tories going forward. 

Plus, we hit on what it means for the government's housing agenda. How can Ford regain his footing on one of the most important issues facing the province?

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

The Trillium took a field trip out to Bowling Green for one of the biggest events on Ontario's political calendar. 

The International Plow Match and Rural Expo! 

What's normally a good-vibes-only event had a slightly different feel to it this year as the Greenbelt scandal continues to plague the Progressive Conservative government, especially with farming communities. 

We spoke to some folks who aren't exactly thrilled with how the government treated rural Ontarians and farmland. 

We also dipped our toes into some of the less-than-serious parts of the day. It's truly a good time. 

And in a jaw-dropping announcement two days after the plowing match, Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday a reversal of his government's Greenbelt land removals. 

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

The Greenbelt news cycle never ends.

Paul Calandra replaced Steve Clark as housing minister after the latter resigned in the wake of two reports highly critical of his role in the land swap. 

Calandra didn't waste any time in making some news. He and Premier Doug Ford announced the government will forge ahead with plans to build houses on the 14 parcels of land removed from the protected area last fall. 

The province will also launch a full-scale review of the Greenbelt that could see more land taken out. 

David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto and federal cabinet minister, chaired the 2015-2017 Greenbelt review and walks us through that process to see what clues it might hold for whatever comes next. 

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

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark's actions in the ongoing Greenbelt land swap scandal broke MPP ethics rules. 

Clark "failed to oversee an important initiative in his ministry which led to some developers being alerted to a potential change in the government’s position on the Greenbelt with the result that their private interests were furthered improperly," Ontario Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake wrote in his damming report. 

Clark apologized to Ontarians for the part he played.

Wake recommended Clark be "reprimanded" for his actions by the legislature. 

Premier Doug Ford and Clark held separate press conferences on Thursday — the day after the report came out — where they were grilled on the findings.  

Both men said the process for selecting the lands should've been better and they're working to ensure it never happens again. 

Ford, however, stuck by his minister and Clark did not resign. 

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

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk dropped her long-awaited report into the Greenbelt land swap last week and it did not disappoint. 

“The exercise to change the Greenbelt boundaries in Fall 2022 cannot be described as a standard or defensible process,” Lysyk wrote.

The scathing report outlined a furiously quick process that saw developers propose sites for removal, and get their wish. 

Ryan Amato,  Housing Minister Steve Clark's chief of staff, had “substantial control” over the process and gave “preferential treatment” to developers with “direct access” to him, the auditor’s report says.

The developers in question could see their properties increase in value by over $8 billion. 

Our friends at Inside the Village had us on to walk through the report. 

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

Physicist, financier, father ... and future premier? 

Ted Hsu's banking that his past experience in and out of politics will catapult him to the top of Ontario Liberal leadership contestants. 

The Kingston and the Islands MPP is also no stranger to navigating a third party out of the wilderness. He was the riding's MP when the federal Liberal Party went from a distant third in the 2011 election to a huge majority in 2015. 

He joined the pod to talk about the state of the provincial party, the ongoing leadership race, what learned — and what the provincial party can learn — from the federal Liberal's rebirth.

We also touch on energy policy (he's the party's energy critic, after all) including why he doesn't think Ontario should get back into providing tax credits for electric vehicles and if there's been a sea change in offshore wind politics.

If you have any podcast feedback — including guest suggestions or tips — email aidan@thetrillium.ca 

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

Cities across the province provide a wider array of services than ever before. Think homelessness prevention programs, affordable housing, and beyond. 

The ways municipalities raise revenues, however, haven't evolved alongside increased responsibilities. The pandemic put an even bigger strain on city coffers and some are really starting to feel the pinch. 

What should the province do to help? What about the federal government? How'd we even get here? Essentially, are cities broken, or just broke? 

Prof. Enid Slack, director of the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance at the University of Toronto's School of Cities, joins the pod to break it all down. 

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

After months of exploring Liberal MPP Adli Shamji finally jumped headfirst into the Liberal leadership race, making him the fifth contestant to do so. 

We had the rookie MPP on the pod to talk about why he's running despite having just over a year's worth of political experience and how his background as an emergency room doctor influences his approach to politics. We also touch on some personal stuff, like him being a pilot, having a black belt in taekwondo, and got him raving about his dog. 

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

It's a little over a year since the Progressive Conservatives were elected for their second smashing majority and quite a lot has happened in provincial politics since then.

Kim Wright, NDP strategist and founder of Wright Strategies, and Brayden Akers, former PC staffer and associate principal at Navigator, join the pod to break down the highs and lows of the past year. We touch on what the government's done well plus some simmering issues they might face in years ahead. How has Marit Stiles fared as NDP leader? Do any of the Liberal leadership candidates have what it takes to win back official party status, let alone government?

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

Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi's spent a lot of time in politics. He was Ontario's attorney general, minister of community safety and correctional services, and minister of labour in the previous Liberal government. Now he's an MP, but wants to jump back into provincial politics and lead the Ontario Liberal Party. So we had him on the podcast to tell us why. 

We touch on touch decisions from his time in government like selling off part of Hydro One, decisions he's proud of — like ending carding. Yasir gives us his leadership elevator pitch, and explains where exactly he sits on the political spectrum. That and more on the latest episode of The Trill. 

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

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith joins the pod to talk about his bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. We start by going over recent comments by Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie on the party moving too far to the left and whether Erskine-Smith agrees, before launching into a wide-ranging conversation about his thoughts on the party's direction and what kind of leader he'd be. 

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

Mike Moffatt and Jesse Helmer join us to dig into some of the highlights from the latest update to Ontario's housing plan.

There is plenty to be discussed in Housing Minister Steve Clark's new bill and associated regulatory proposals. Thankfully, these smart folks were happy to jump on the pod walk host Aidan Chamandy through the ins and outs of the new policy.

Mike Moffatt is the senior director of the Smart Prosperity Institute and the founding director of the PLACE Centre.

Jesse Helmer is a senior research associate with Smart Prosperity and a former city councillor and deputy mayor of London.

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

#BigBlueBent featuring a weekly look at events in Canadian politics from a Montreal-based conservative viewpoint. This week - Jeff Joseph (Host) and panelists Robert Presser (Entrepreneur, Op-Ed columnist, former political candidate), and Dr. Roy Eappen (Endocrinologist, internal medicine specialist, former political candidate) cede the floor to former political advisor and Toronto City Council liaison for the late Mayor Rob Ford, Christine Maydossian for insight into the way the Toronto Mayor's office functions and, of course,  analysis and observations on the fall of current Mayor John Tory.  Also: more on C-13. Is there a Liberal backbench revolt from some Montreal-area MPs brewing? Finally, some early takes on the retirement of RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. 

Please note that all opinions expressed are those of the commentators only and do reflect opinions and viewpoints of their employers, political organization affiliations, friends, relatives and maybe even enemies from time to time. Big Blue Bent is a podcast on the BBB Network. All rights reserved.