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Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Jack Hauen, who has been pounding the pavement lately on the bike lane beat.

He brings us up to speed on a briefing document written for Doug Ford's cabinet, which points out that, according to research, prohibiting bike lanes doesn’t actually solve traffic congestion.

Hauen also explains how the Ford government amended its bike lane bill to seemingly block potential lawsuits that might arise if cyclists are injured or killed after protected lanes are removed. Advocates and opposition MPPs say the amendment proves their argument: that ripping up bike lanes will have dire consequences for cyclists.

"This is a political decision and people are going to be killed," said NDP MPP Jennifer French.

Looking for previous episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find all of them HERE.

Launched last year by Village Media, which operates this community website, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

Click HERE to sign up for the site's free afternoon email newsletter, The Trillium Wrap. Subscription information can be found HERE.

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Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who breaks down the latest on the Ford government's signature promise to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

Fresh off a disastrous housing projection in its latest fiscal statement, the province got more bad news this week from the Financial Accountability Office: when it comes to detached homes, Ontario "is on track for the lowest level of annual starts on record back to 1955."

On this episode, we also talk bike lanes — more specifically, who wants them ripped out and how much it will cost taxpayers to do that. Spoiler alert: the price tag is pretty steep.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter/editor Katherine DeClerq , who joined our team of political journalists last month when Village Media acquired Queen's Park Today.

The big news of the week, of course: Donald Trump's landslide win in the U.S. presidential election — and what it means for Canada.

As DeClerq explains, Canadian politicians, including the Ford government, say they're prepared to deal with Trump's potentially protectionist administration.

"I'm very confident we'll have a very rewarding relationship with the new administration," Doug Ford told reporters. Time will tell.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Alan S. Hale, who joined our team of political journalists last month when Village Media acquired Queen's Park Today.

Hale breaks down some of the specifics of the Ford government's fall economic statement — including the $200 rebate cheques that every Ontarian is about to receive.

He also explains why the premier had some choice words for Ontario's big city mayors, who aren't on the same page when it comes to dealing with homeless encampments in their communities. Some — but not all — want the province to use the notwithstanding clause to allow individuals living in encampments with severe mental illnesses or addiction to be forced into treatment.

"You can't put your butt on both sides of the fence — you'll get a lot of slivers," Ford told reporters, when asked about the mayors. "You don't sit there and say: 'Well, let's see if the province is going to do it.' Guys, you are either going one side or the other."

Looking for other episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find all of them HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, whose chat turned into an all-transit episode.

Bottom line: Doug Ford hates bike lanes, loves the idea of a tunnelled expressway under Hwy. 401 — and the Premier is in the driver's seat on both issues.

We apologize in advance for the audio quality on today's episode. Scott was on the road this week for a sit-down interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and we experienced some technical difficulties. If you want to check out that Trudeau interview, it's right HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Charlie Pinkerton, who breaks down the latest complaint filed with Ontario's Integrity Commissioner: NDP leader Marit Stiles wants an investigation into whether Premier Doug Ford's infrastructure minister broke ethics laws by selecting Therme as the main redeveloper of Ontario Place.

Also on this week's episode: Election-style promises!

The Ford government is reportedly planning to send $200 "rebate cheques" to every taxpayer in the province — an idea that would cost roughly $3.2 billion.

Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie responded by promising to cut taxes for all middle class families, while Stiles called Ford's idea a "stunt" that proves his government is "out of touch, out of gas and clearly out of ideas."

Check your mailbox in January. In the meantime, if you're looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk they're all right HERE.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who walks us through the growing debate over whether people with severe mental health and addictions issues should be forced into treatment.

She also breaks down the big news from Village Media: our acquisition of two leading political newsletters — Queen's Park Today and Parliament Today. You can read all about it HERE.

Launched last year by Village Media, a leader in local journalism, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of Ontario politics.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who published an important — and heartbreaking — feature story this week about parents of high-needs children struggling to find the services they need.

As The Trillium reported in August, an increasing number of Ontario parents are surrendering custody of their kids to children’s aid societies — not because they've abused or neglected them, but because they can't find the services and support they need to keep them safe at home.

Premier Doug Ford responded by announcing an "audit" of the child welfare system, but parents who spoke to The Trillium say that's not enough. They want to see a major overhaul of not only the child welfare system but of the delivery of all provincial supports for children and families.

Also on this week's Trillium Talk: The PCs hold the line with a byelection win in the Bay of Quinte.