The Alex Pierson Show

While in Alberta, Chrystia Freeland was speaking to reporters about a 10% luxury tax being introduced to all purchases of things like boats, planes, and other large luxury items. She claims it's to recoup money spent during the pandemic but with the cost of everything right now, is this what we need? Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of Canadian Taxpayers Federation, joined Alex to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About $41 Million worth of road paving in the City of Toronto, which was slated to start this month, is now being delayed further into next year. City staff say they needed to revise the scope of the projects and provide clarity to companies bidding on the work. Will this cause more bad than good? Joining Alex to answer this is Stephen Holyday, Deputy Mayor and Toronto Councillor for Ward 2 - Etobicoke Centre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are all the products you buy at a dollar store safe? Recent testing has shown that toxic chemicals are being used to manufacture these products. Something like the outer ring on a set of stereo headphones was found to have 24 times the legal limit of lead, and five times the legal limit of cadmium. Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence, talks to Alex about this and what the federal government needs to do when it comes to regulating these products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Accidental opioid poisonings have been on the rise in Hamilton, and they can happen to anyone taking an opioid – both prescription and non-prescription. From January 1 to August 9, 2022, Hamilton Paramedic Services (HPS) responded to 447 incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses. August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day and a timely reason to shed light on the need to take proactive steps to tackle the mounting accidental opioid poisonings in the Hamilton community. Harsit Patel, a Clinical Pharmacist at Hamilton Health Sciences, chatted with Alex about this and what needs to be done to make things better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Canadians still have confidence in getting regular vaccines like polio, hepatitis, and others? A recent study shows that 55% of children and teens have vaccines against deadly diseases. So why is there such a drop? Joining Alex is Dr. Jia Hu, CEO of 19 to Zero, a 500+ member coalition of multi-disciplinary experts working to build confidence in vaccines and get Canadians vaccinated, to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the week where we look behind the curtain into all things Ottawa, and to do that, we bring on Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to give us the little nuggets of information that most places don't get. Today, Tom talks about how Canadians feel the federal government overreached when using emergency powers when ending the Freedom Convoy protest. Also, he talks about what Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said yesterday about how politics are toxic and bitter. That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The High Commissioner of Pakistan is thanking Canada for their contributions to relief efforts during the flooding that has been taking place in the Middle Eastern nation. A Canadian based charity is sending over family emergency kits with a water purification unit, hygiene items and a solar light to help those affected, and Rahul Singh, Executive Director of Global Medic, a registered Canadian charity, is here to talk with Alex about the work they're doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto police have identified Angelica Sig-Od and her mother, Elvie Sig-Od, as victims of a fatal stabbing on Friday afternoon. Godfrey Sig-Od, who was the father, was arrested and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. On average, Ontario sees three femicides — women killed — per month. Here to talk with Alex about femicide is Lieran Docherty, Director of Programs at the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's going on in Brampton? A video posted online shows a brawl of about a dozen men in a parking lot, but what really gets the attention is the use of swords and machetes by some of the men. We've seen these headlines more recently and it's raising questions about the brazen nature of these attacks. Brampton Mayer, Patrick Brown, joins us to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, a video surfaced online showing a man approaching Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, who was in Alberta, where he started cursing at her and telling her to get out of Alberta. The RCMP is said to be investigating this matter but can actual criminal charges be laid against the man responsible? Ari Goldkind, a Criminal Defence Lawyer, joined Alex to talk about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices