The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 281: Friday Round Table with Kelly Elliott, A.J Wray and Jeremy McCall

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig welcomes former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott, PhD candidate A.J. Wray and former council candidate Jeremy McCall to the studio to talk about the week's top issues.

They dive into the efforts of some London city councillors to save some money on your tax bill - with some controversial ideas to some. Also, a massive deficit at London Health Sciences Centre and the Conservative Party of Canada' safe supply attacks are now targeting a London doctor.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 280: LHSC projects a deficit of $150-million, how did it happen?

At a meeting on Wednesday, members of the London Health Sciences Centre board of directors were told that after running a $78-million deficit in the last year, they project to run one of $150-million in the upcoming fiscal.

How did this happen? How can it be fixed? Acting President and CEO David Musyj spoke with Craig at the hospital to share what he's learned in the short time since taking on his new role.

Episode 279: Mike Moffatt talks housing polling, Trudeau's future

Economist Mike Moffatt, a founding director of the PLACE Centre, joins Craig on the podcast to talk about how the housing shortage is shaping Canadian politics in the wake of the Liberal by-election loss in Toronto-St. Paul's.

How does a generation being frozen out of home ownership impact voting? Will Justin Trudeau soon exit political life? Will an Ontario election come sooner rather than later?

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 278: Friday Round Table with Elizabeth Peloza, Cheryl Miller and Scott Collyer

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined at the Covent Garden Market studio by City of London Budget Chair Elizabeth Peloza, former city councillor Cheryl Miller and political insider Scott Collyer.

They talk about Shmuel Farhi's interesting (but perhaps unwanted) proposal for a new London city hall, changing ward boundaries in London, growing salaries for leaders at the Thames Valley District School Board, and whether we need to have school boards at all.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 277: Dr. Andrea Sereda shares her side of safe supply debate

Why are advocates of Safe Supply so passionate about the positives of the program?

Dr. Andrea Sereda of London Intercommunity Health Centre, one of the leading safe supply advocates in the country, joins the podcast to explain her side of the debate.

She and Craig discuss the program's history, it's effectiveness, and the criticisms - both the legitimate ones and the ones made in bad faith.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Listen to Dr. Sharon Koivu's concerns about the program from last week's episode here.

Episode 276: Friday Round Table with Mojdeh Cox, Jeff Preston and Ryan Gauss

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined at the Covent Garden Market studio by activist Mojdeh Cox, disability advocate Dr. Jeff Preston and political insider Ryan Gauss.

The panel discusses the ongoing London Police investigation into what they're calling a potentially hate-motivated arson, more changes at the London Health Sciences Centre and cuts at the Thames Valley District School Board.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London.

Episode 275: Dr. Sharon Koivu's concerns about safe supply drugs

London has become one of the centre of the safe supply debate in the medical community. The pro-side says that providing drugs that aren't from dealers will be safer and lead to fewer overdose deaths. The con-side believes that safe supply is only a temporary measure, with more harms than benefits.

Dr. Sharon Koivu, who has been practicing medicine in London for nearly 40 years, is firmly on the con-side of the conversation. She joins Craig to explain why and what she's seeing in the community.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 274: Friday Round Table with Shawn Lewis, Roger Caranci and Cheryl Miller

Craig welcomes London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, as well as former city councillors Roger Caranci and Cheryl Miller to talk about the issues of the week.

They talk about the state of long-term care in Ontario and Cheryl's husband being in the system, then they talk about the provincial cabinet shuffle, housing being put over top of farmland, renoviction rules in London and the lawnmower debate being reignited at city hall.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 273: Andrew Lawton talks 'Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life'

If you look at the polls, it shows the chances are high that Pierre Poilievre is going to be the next Prime Minister of Canada.

How did he get to this point?

Craig's former colleague Andrew Lawton has written a book about it. 'Pierre Poilievre: A Political Life' is available now, and Andrew stopped by the Covent Garden Market studio to talk about the book and what the next 18 months may look like in federal politics.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London.

Episode 272: Ford spends big on big box beer

The good news: If you like to buy a beer, soon there will be more places to do it.

The bad news: It's going to be expensive.

Premier Doug Ford says alcohol sales will be expanded, with the rollout beginning this summer. The cost a $225-million payout to the Beer Store, plus hundreds of millions more in other costs, according to the opposition.

Ben Johnson, a local beer writer and the host of the Beer and Bulls%$t podcast joins Craig to share his thoughts.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London.