Friday, April 29th 2022

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

The Ontario government just released a record budget for spending, with over $198.6 billion allocated to things like health care, education, tax cuts and much more. With the provincial election writ dropping soon, there’s no way the budget can be passed before June 2 so instead it serves as the platform for Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. With the other parties also releasing their plans to give Ontario voters a different choice, this budget plans signals that the election campaign starts now.

Thursday, April 28th 2022

Guests: David Rider and Jennifer Pagliaro, The Star’s City Hall bureau

With a municipal election coming in October, change is coming to city hall. While Mayor John Tory will be seeking his third term, it is in the race for council seats where a lot of the action and interest will be. While there are no political parties tied to Toronto’s council, there are political factions and the political makeup and dynamics of the inner workings of council will be different after the depature of some left-wing councillors.

Wednesday, April 27th 2022

Guest: Nadine Yousif, mental health reporter

A recent survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found disturbing trends. More than half of the 2,200 kids in grades 7-12 surveyed are not just reeling from the effects of the pandemic, they are anxious about climate change and the future. This is an eye-opening glimpse into how young people across Ontario have been coping over the last two years and is a snapshot of a generation that has grown up with the knowledge that they are set to inherit the Earth’s worsening natural disasters. The Star’s mental health reporter Nadine Yousif explains the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Tuesday, April 26th 2022

Guest: Paul Kershaw, a professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health and founder of Generation Squeeze, a non-profit that works for generational fairness

They say timing is everything, but should it be when it comes to home ownership? Canada’s wealth gap is not just driven by income, but also by real estate with much determined by if and when you bought your home. As real estate prices soar, many are priced out of the market and very little is being done that will make houses more affordable. Part of the issue is how existing homeowners think about their home as an investment and how resistant they are to anything that might affect the value. For those who are stuck outside the market, it’s time to rethink how to solve this problem and perhaps look at more radical solutions.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Monday, April 25th 2022

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, a reporter in the Star's Ottawa Bureau

The Conservative party leadership race is underway and while the goal is to find a new leader, some think this contest could be for the soul of the party. While there candidates pushing more socially conservative views against others with more progressive stands on issues, there are also populist and further right-leaning factions. Somewhat alarmed by the latter, there is now a centrist coalition that wants the party to court the middle ground as a path to electoral victory. Will it work? How do all these disparate groups live in the same organization?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar