The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 165: Surprise top cop change

London Police have a new chief - but they surprised some observers by making an outside hire.

Thai Truong comes to London from York Region - and brings a wealth of policing experience with him. But did the London Police Services Board send a bad message to the organization when they hired from the outside when interim chief Trish McIntyre was seen by some as the right person to take over the job?

Former London Police Chief Murray Faulkner joins Craig to share his thoughts.

Episode 164: Friday Round Table with Carol Dyck, John Fyfe-Millar and AJ Wray

On the Friday Round Table, Craig is joined in the studio by former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck, former London city councillor John Fyfe-Millar and PhD candidate AJ Wray.

The group discusses social assistance in Ontario and when the provincial government could finally make a significant move with it, calls to divert funding away from Safe Space that were shutdown at London City Hall and proposed changes to requirements for becoming a police officer.

Episode 163: Province falls short on social assistance rates - again

Provincial cabinet ministers Monte McNaughton and Steve Clark were at London City Hall on Tuesday, talking about homelessness. However, they didn't mention what Craig says is the biggest problem facing low income people in London - dismal social assistance rates. Craig shares his thoughts and plays his news conference exchanges with McNaughton and Clark on this edition of the podcast.

Episode 162: Friday Round Table with Shawn Lewis, Cheryl Miller and Steve Holland

On the Friday Round Table, Craig is joined by London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, former city councillor Cheryl Miller and CUPE Local 101 President Steve Holland.

They talk about massive government investment in a Volkswagen battery in St. Thomas and proposed property tax hikes in the City of London - how much is too much?

Episode 161: New look for board appointments, new look for Rogers Centre

London City Councillors have decided to interview five candidates who have applied for the vacant seat on the London Police Service Board - but will the process result in a fair outcome?

Then, we talk baseball (16:26)!

Blue Jays fan and fight deck expert Lesley Mak has visited the new-look Rogers Centre and joins Craig to tell us what to expect when we head to a Jays game this summer.

Episode 160: Friday Round Table with Cheryl Miller, Nathan Caranci and Scott Kitching

On the latest edition of the Friday Round Table, Craig is joined in the studio by former city councillor Cheryl Miller, poilitical insider Nathan Caranci and Blackburn Media news manager Scott Kitching to discuss the issues of the week.

They tackle the full-time councillor conversation at London city hall, building of affordable housing in London and the Twitter spat between Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh.

Episode 159: Is public confidence in London hospitals eroding?

In the wake of the Sunshine List showing massive executive pay hikes, the London Health Sciences Centre news dumped that they had reached an agreement with dismissed former President Paul Woods on a Thursday before a long weekend. Peter Bergmanis of the London Health Coalition joins Craig to discuss.

Episode 158: Friday Round Table with Shawn Lewis, Mojdeh Cox and AJ Wray

On the Friday Round Table, London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, activist Mojdeh Cox and PhD candidate A.J. Wray joined Craig to talk about the issues of the week.

First, they tackle executive salaries at London Health Sciences Centre and Bill 124, and whether the federal budget will help Canadians dealing with the affordability crisis.

Episode 157: LHSC exec raises send awful message to front line staff

London Health Sciences Centre President and CEO Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor made more than $750,000 in salary and benefits in 2022 - up more than 40% from 2021.

Craig discusses that with Peter Bergmanis of the London Health Coalition and then reads an e-mail from a London Health Sciences Centre staffer about how people on the front lines feel about the wage hike in a time when their increases are limited to 1%.

Episode 156: Friday Round Table with Elizabeth Peloza, Jeremy McCall and Ryan Gauss

On the Friday Round Table, Craig is joined by London City Councillor Elizabeth Peloza, former council candidate Jeremy McCall and political insider Ryan Gauss to talk about the issues of the week.

They examine the future of the Thames Pool, the costs of homecoming partying in London and the latest in the foreign election interference scandal.