The Alex Pierson Show

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: KIM WRIGHT - Principal at Wright Strategies STEPHEN HOLYDAY - Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre Topics include: The City of Hamilton is now investigating how a former leader of one of Canada's most infamous neo-Nazi groups was hired, and has been employed in the IT dept for more than a decade. A basic google check would have revealed his ties to the heritage front. Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel. And still has a hate blog operating that once got him hauled in front of the human rights tribunal. And yet-- he has access to some of the most sensitive and private info of city officials and business. The fall out of the Norman affair begins. The dribs and drabs of details. And what is clear is that the RCMP didn’t do a full investigation. They didn’t question V-A Norman at all. Nor did they question anyone in the Harper gov that approved the shipping deal, and ultimately it was this info that forced the crown to stay the charges that cleared Norman. Life is in no way life in this country. We learn today that the Toronto Neurosurgeon who killed his wife. Chopped her up and stuffed her in a suitcase got life and eligibility in 14 yrs. His being a neurosurgeon plays a factor. That the kids are left parentless plays a factor. But this sentence tells us we aren’t serious about murder in this country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should white supremacists get a second chance? Sure. If they deserve it. Mark Lemire does not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Janet Hodgkins, who worked at the local Library in Welland and was apart of the Read in Protest. A group of women were apart of the Read in Protest in order to stop the cuts to library funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Colonel Michelle Drapeau, who specializes in military and veteran law cases.   In a stunning reversal of position, the Crown stayed its charge of breach of trust against the former second-in-command of the Canadian military, admitting it did not have enough evidence to meet the standard of conviction required for the allegation in light of new evidence presented by the defence and third parties in a March 28 meeting between the Crown and Norman’s counsel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: John Mraz FORMER LIBERAL WAR ROOM DIRECTOR ANTHONY FUREY SUN / POSTMEDIA COLUMNIST & NATIONAL COMMENT EDITOR Topics include: VA Marc Norman is a free man after 2 years of being dragged through the courts on a charge that was levelled at him for political reasons, the Unifor did not bring the Oshawa GM back to life, Health Canada lowering the deferral period for men, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Justin Trudeau's Canada corrupt companies shouldn't face justice but decorative officers get destroyed.  So why should we care about what has happened to Vice Admiral Mike Norman?  It's about someone who did the honourable thing and was thrown under the bus by a government that has zero honour or respect for our rule of law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: Stephen LeDrew Lawyer, Broadcaster Formerly the President of the Liberal Party of Canada Currently a Homemaker Mike Van Soelen Managing Principal at Navigator, a public relations firm Topics include: Federal government cutting back a program that employs those with disabilities who sort and shred government documents. Prime Minister Trudeau is determined to be the world’s bestest feministist by making sure all women have free feminine products in all federal employees… And Max Bernier says it’s not the government’s job to subsidize this--- and no woman cares what any of these men think-- but frankly why is this a national priority? AG- tables a report looking into 5 key areas of government performance and what it seems to confirm is that we have a government that loves the grand gestures but not the day to day governing. Two key findings- -The RCMP isn’t equipped or ready to deal with a big attack. And Canada’s refugee system is plagued with a backlog of asylum claims that is worse now than it has ever been. We can’t meet deadlines to process people. The current backlog of more than 75,000 claims, asylum-seekers could wait up to five years to learn whether they can remain in Canada. Andrew Scheer has started to lay out what he will be running on in the fall election. Today he delivered the first of five speeches that will share his vision for Canada. Ontario’s Integrity commissioner cites “insufficient grounds”  to investigate allegations that Premier Ford violated ethics legislation. When he fired interim OPP boss Brad Blair. Blair was fired after revealing that the premier’s office had pushed the OPP to provide Ford with a van that had been customized with a leather reclining sofa and TV. To investigate this complaint would amount to a “fishing expedition.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Dave Ferguson - Executive Director of the Ottawa-Carleton Association of Persons with Developmental Disabilities. The federal government is cutting back a program that employs those with disabilities who sort and shred government documents. Alex and Dave discuss the optics of this, and how it is affecting the employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of Counterpoint, Alex is joined by: Andy Stinton THE SMALL BUSINESS MAN Michael Diamond WITH UPSTREAM STRATEGY GROUP Topics include: Two brothers are born with a life sentence… only one is able to get on a drug trial that can improve his life. His baby brother, just 6 can’t get access to a drug that costs 250 k a yr. And while the feds have 12 million to hand to Loblaws. We have subsidies to buy electric cars, money to get out of a beer contract, we have the parents of two brothers having to listen to one live and another suffer. The Ford government announces 174 for mental health spending. It is one of a few announcements being made. This one is to expand mobile crisis intervention teams to help 1st responders—and mental health supports in schools. Mental health workers will be placed in secondary schools so students have access to early intervention.  The former Liberal government had promised in its last budget to give every high school mental health supports by 2020. Just in time for an election the Trudeau Liberals throw 24 billion a year we don’t have to boost the Canada child care benefit by as much as 12 to 30 dollars a month. Nothing that will actually change anyone’s life, but is designed to buy votes. You buying? Toronto Marathon causing many headaches-- not just to motorists stuck behind the out of control road closures, but this is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. You have to run it in under 3:50. but now a number of runners who used GPS devices are complaining the course was longer. Instead of 42.2 kilometers, one runner says her watch determined she ran 43.14 kilometres. Another, says her watch clocked in at 43.44 kilometres. Meanwhile-- the street closures again wreak havoc on Toronto streets shut down for hours to allow those walking to make it He’s a Toronto cop with a new title of Toronto’s million-dollar police officer. Const. Ioan-Florin Floria, has been off the job since he was nabbed in a big drug sweep in 2007. He earned over $300,000 in salary over the past three years and has been taking home a regular pay-cheque for the past 12 years, without even clocking in for a shift. We have a new Royal baby, a little baby boy and a very proud poppa who came out to say thanks and do what first time dads do-- but does anyone care? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is joined by Sasha Lee Haughian, a mother of two young boys both struggling with Cystic Fibrosis, but only one of her sons is getting treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices