Tag: Ontario politics
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610 CKTB | Soviet Central Planning in Conservative Blue
610 CKTB host Gene Valaitis and Jon Liedtke discuss Premier Doug Ford’s governance, labeling him a “Soviet-style central planner”. They critique his use of taxpayer money for “voter bribes” like rebate checks, his inconsistent free-market stance regarding monopolies and subsidies, and the controversy surrounding his purchase of an impractical private jet. Transcript (Gemini Generated): Gene…
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Soviet Central Planning in Conservative Blue: Doug Ford’s Faux Free-Market Sales Pitch
Jon Liedtke deconstructs Premier Doug Ford’s “Open for Business” branding, exposing a governance style rooted in central planning and interventionism. From “gravy plane” jet purchases to picking winners with corporate subsidies, Liedtke argues Ford’s pragmatic corporatism betrays true small-c conservative principles while shamelessly buying off an increasingly cynical electorate.
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610 CKTB | Grounding the Gravy Plane
Host Gene Valaitis and author Jon Liedtke critique Premier Doug Ford’s 48-hour reversal on purchasing a $30 million private jet. They discuss the damage to Ford’s “everyman” brand, the potential $6–7 million loss in “stupid taxes,” and the need for government transparency versus elite posturing ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Premier Ford’s $30-Million Mea Culpa: Grounding the Gravy Plane
Doug Ford’s aborted $28.9M ‘Gravy Plane’ purchase exposes deep hypocrisy in Ontario politics. Echoing the 1981 Bill Davis ‘Two Lists’ scandal, this op-ed highlights the glaring disconnect between executive luxury and the harsh realities of underfunded healthcare, calling out political shell games, wasted taxpayer funds, and an impenetrable political bubble.
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Open for Business or Armed for Business?
Premier Doug Ford’s proposal to legalize pepper spray and empower private security is a “Mad Max” admission of policy failure. Instead of fixing a broken justice system or addressing bail reform, the government is outsourcing public safety to $18-an-hour guards. We need data-driven policing, not mall-level “Delta Force” fantasies.
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610 CKTB| Buck-a-Beer to Boutique-Bounty-Hunters: Premier Ford’s Wild West Retail Security Plan
Jon Liedtke joins Gene Valaitis to discuss Premier Doug Ford’s controversial retail security plan. Liedtke critiques the proposal to arm security guards with pepper spray, calling it a “Mad Max” policy shift that ignores proven, data-driven policing methods used successfully in cities like Windsor to combat retail theft.
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610 CKTB | Al Quds Day
Jon Liedtke joined The Gene Valaitis Show on Niagara’s 610 CKTB to discuss his latest opinion piece, Majority of Nothing: Premier Ford’s Al Quds Performance Art, and Al Quds Day in Toronto.
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Majority of Nothing: Premier Ford’s Al Quds Performance Art
Doug Ford’s failed 11th-hour injunction against Al Quds Day 2026 was a masterclass in political theater. Amidst a global week of antisemitic violence and the ongoing Iran war, Ontario’s majority government opted for performative optics over legislative action. Jon Liedtke argues it’s time for the Premier to stop playing Monday morning quarterback.
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LIVE & LOCAL: Dec. 31 2022
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW of Ontario politics with Megan Ball Rigden & Get Gardening with Prof. Jay Terryberry.