On Point With Alex Pierson

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: John Mraz & Bill Hutchison Topics include: Suspended Ontario PC MPP says comments on autism weren’t directed at parents, B.C. measles outbreak, Jussie Smollett charged with filing a false report, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Monique Taylor, MPP to discuss how the province announced its new “childhood budget” on Feb. 6. The new program will give a child diagnosed with autism who enters the program at the age of two as much as $140,000 by the time that child is 18.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buzzfeed is going to police fake news for the Canadian election. Alec believes they should start policing themselves first.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Rubina Ahmed-Haq, Global News Radio Personal Finance Expert, to discuss Payless ShoeSource Canada Inc, who says it will soon file for creditor protection in Canada and close all 2,500 of its North American stores this spring. According to the company's chief restructuring officer Stephen Marotta, the closures are happening because a prior reorganization left the company “ill-equipped” for today’s retail environment with too much remaining debt and too large a store footprint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Lorne Honickman, Global News Radio Legal Expert, for this edition of Case and Point. Topics include - Justin Trudeau's right-hand-man resigns, Jody Wilson-Raybould turns heads on Parliament Hill after appearing at a cabinet meeting, a Montreal judge has thrown out the charges against a SNC executive, the man accused in the Eaton Centre shooting has been found guilty and a B.C. man has fentanyl charges against him tossed following an error made by a sniffer-dog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Glenn Carritt, Innisfail, Alberta Councillor and convoy organizer, to talk about the hundreds of semi-trailers, pickup trucks, cars and buses that rolled into Ottawa on Tuesday, to protest the federal government’s policies on the oil industry. The main portion of the United We Roll Convoy set out from Red Deer, Alta., last Thursday and made stops in Regina, Dryden, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie before mustering at Arnprior, Ont., just outside the capital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: Mike Van Soelen - Principal at Navigator, communications strategist and commentator & Stephen Ledrew - Toronto-based lawyer and broadcaster Topics include: In a political double-whammy, Jody Wilson-Raybould makes an appearance at a cabinet meeting in Ottawa, despite resigning from said cabinet just days earlier and an SNC executive has charges against them thrown out. Plus, a group of angry college students make a loud impression on Doug Ford and Queens Park, Canadian taxpayers essentially payed $161,000 for photographers to take pictures of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and actor Jussie Smollet could face felony charges after filing a false police report regarding an alleged attack back on January 29th.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Alise Mills, Strategic Counsel & Crisis Communications, Media Commentator, to discuss the ever-developing story that is SNC Lavalin. While new information continues to come to light, a recent IPSOS poll, provided exclusively to Global News, shows the Trudeau government is losing political support, thus making a re-election bid in the incoming federal election, less than certain.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight's Top Talkers are: Scott Thompson - Global News Radio Hamilton (12pm-3pm) & Craig Needles - Global News Radio London (9am-Noon) Topics include: Jody Wilson-Raybould confirms she is still a member of the Liberal caucus after appearing at a recent cabinet meeting in Ottawa, charges against a high-ranking SNC executive involved in the on-going investigation have been thrown out and Doug Ford acts like an adult as college students scream outage at Queens Park. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems that things are going from bad to worse for Justin Trudeau. In the days since news broke of alleged interference in criminal proceedings involving Montreal based engineering firm, SNC Lavalin, the Prime Minister has witnessed the resignation of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould. Now, his Principal Secretary and political right-hand-man, Gerald Butts, is making the same exit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Meghan Murphy, writer, journalist, and founder of Feminist Current, a radical feminist blog and podcast, to talk about the lawsuit that was launched by Murphy after the social media giant banned her account following a comment they deemed to be discriminative towards trans people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Tom Quiggin, former military intelligence officer, former RCMP intelligence contractor and court appointed expert of Jihadist terrorism to talk about the recent SNC Lavalin case and also taking a look at research that has shown a steady path of judicial interference within the Canadian government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Dave Perry, Global News Radio's Crime and Security Analyst, for this edition of Anatomy of a Crime. Topics include - The lead detective in the Bruce McArthur case is leaving the homicide department for the canine unit in what is being called therapeutic relief, Toronto police have said that are scrapping a plan to acquire technology that can pick up the sound of gunfire, and the killer of Rosemary Junor is having her sentence conditions eased. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Lorne Honickman, Global News Radio Legal Expert, to talk about a ruling by Canada's top court that says students have a reasonable right not to have their faces and breasts filmed without their consent at school. The unanimous Supreme Court of Canada ruling comes nearly eight years after London, Ont., teacher Ryan Jarvis was caught surreptitiously filming up to 27 students with a pen camera, and charged with voyeurism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Melissa Lantsman, Vice President, Public Affairs, Hill + Knowlton and Jon Dwyer, Vice Chairman & Director, Aereus Technologies Inc, for this edition of Counterpoint. Topics include: The recent LAV scam that is sweeping across Parliament Hill could lead to calls for a caucus revolt against Justin Trudeau, the scam has also made the Trudeau government's disinformation and foreign interference plan look hypocritical, Lisa MacLeod is facing calls for her own resignation and Toronto police have scrapped a plan to obtain technology that would capture the sound of gunfire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Dan McTeague, Petroleum Analyst and former Liberal MP, to discuss why the Trudeau government is finding it difficult to land on a singular reason behind what lead to the recent resignation of Jody Wilson-Raybould. Also, with all "reason juggling", it leaves the thought to ponder if there is now unrest within the incumbent federal Liberal party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight's Top Talkers are: Craig Needles - Global News Radio London & Mackay Taggart - News Director, Global News Toronto  Topics include: As the federal government continues to deflect questioning surrounding LAV scam, the idea of Trudeau's "disinformation and foreign intelligence plan" getting a hold of this story first is making heads roll and a recent misstep by Lisa MacLeod, Ontario's Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, has lead to calls for her resignation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what seems to be a growing strategy in the world of North American politics, if a news story is released, discrediting or contradicting the rule of an incumbent political party, that party could simply label it as "fake news" and move on. While a recent editorial was released before the Trudeau government's fake news police got their hands on it, it leaves you wondering what the story could have been if it had been spun a different way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Raquel Turner who is a Barrie mother of two. Raquel and her husband are considering separation and selling their home to help children with autism.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined John Mraz and Bill Hutchison Topics include: Commons justice committee to probe SNC-Lavalin affair — but Liberals limit witness list, Dave Brubaker, ex-Canadian gymnastics coach, acquitted of sex-related charges, Ontario's deficit $13.5B this fiscal year, economic challenges ahead, and more.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices