TRILLIUM TALK: Get out your books, put away that cellphone

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 — a special audio-only edition — is deputy editor Sneh Duggal, who had an exclusive story this week about what went on behind the scenes before the Ford government announced the construction of a new high school in Wasaga Beach.

It turns out a developer involved in the project hosted a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for then-Education Minister Stephen Lecce, and arranged for town politicians and staff to attend and make their case for the new school.

Spoiler alert: the developer hung on up Duggal when she phoned to ask some questions.

Also on the show: A new school year starts this week — with strict new rules on cell phone use in the classroom. Jill Dunlop, the new Education Minister, admits the change "is going to be a big issue." Will teachers be able to effectively enforce the new rules? Should they have to? Ring the bell.

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

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.