The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 167: Friday Round Table with Susan Stevenson, Cheryl Miller and Matthew Reid

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined by London city councillor Susan Stevenson, former city councillor Cheryl Miller and lawyer Matthew Reid to talk about the issues of the week.

They discuss the London Transit Commissions hopes to provide service to the city's industrial areas, the city's health and homelessness plan and the Health Unit's push to increase social assistance rates.

Episode 166: Mayor pushing health and homelessness plan

What's the latest on the millions of dollars that's supposed to transform the way homelessness is combatted in the City of London?

Mayor Josh Morgan has met with cabinet ministers about it. City staff. Key decision makers. Even Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He joins Craig to talk about the latest and discuss timelines on when we may actually see some of these changes make an impact.

Episode 166: Friday Round Table with Ali Chahbar, Shawna Lewkowitz and Jared Zaifman

On this week's edition of the Friday Round Table, Craig welcomes lawyer Ali Chahbar, former federal NDP candidate Shawna Lewkowitz and former London City councillor Jared Zaifman join Craig to talk about the issues of the week.

They discuss London's new police chief, tough times for renters in the city, London being the least happy city in the country according to some new stats and if threats against Conservative MP Michael Chong may become an election issue.

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.