Scott Thompson Show

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Burlington Ward 3 City Councillor Rory Nisan weighs in on his comments regarding strong mayor powers. Florida’s Social Media ban for ages under 14. What does social media do to the adolescent mind, and do the concerns of Florida republicans make sense? A senior Bank of Canada official says the need to improve productivity has reached an emergency level as the economy faces a future where inflation(opens in a new tab) may be more of a threat than in the past few decades. In a new piece for the National Post, Tasha Kheiriddin looks at the contrast between public safety standards in Japan and those we have in Canada. What has been the fallout from Ontario’s budget since it dropped roughly 24 hours ago? Restaurants being hit by a more frugal market. How do they navigate this territory? In a document titled Gambling Policy Framework, the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health also calls on the Ontario government to limit overall gambling availability, i

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Celebrities – like Stephen Colbert – walk back their speculation and jokes about Kate Middleton, now that they have learned she has cancer. What happens following the Moscow concert hall terrorist attack? Greece is interested in purchasing Canada’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) if the resource could be made available to the Mediterranean country, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Why did Donald Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ receive a multi-billion dollar valuation? The Doug Ford government is tabling the 2024 Ontario budget today. What are the takeaways? What is going on at Burlington City Hall? Two senior staffers are now gone, and councillors ready a challenge to strong mayor powers. The protest encampment outside of City Hall continues, despite yesterday’s Notice of Contravention. How can the city address this situation, what should be done? The Bank of Canada is warning that weak productivity and low business investment has become a national “eme

The federal government is clamping down on the number of migrant workers in Canada while trying to boost access to permanent residence for those already here, to rein in population growth that's contributed to a housing crisis and strained resources. After imposing a quota on the study permits issued and reintroducing a cap on international students' work hours, Ottawa will reduce the share of temporary residents of the overall population from the current 6.1 per cent to five per cent over three years.  Guest: Cassandra Fultz, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, and a Founder of Doherty Fultz Immigration Consultants, with whom she is a Senior Consultant. 

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: We look over the highlights of this weekend’s Juno Awards. A military veteran who spent 20 years in uniform, Lieutenant Colonel Huajie Xu now lives on a quiet street in Winnipeg. He did not serve in Canada’s armed forces. Instead, he was a member of China’s People’s Liberation Army, according to records obtained by Global News. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released estimates showing how much it could cost to delay the next election by a week and trigger the pension eligibility for members of Parliament elected in 2019. Notice of Contravention has been issued to the organizers of the protest encampment out in front of Hamilton City Hall, requesting voluntary compliance in the removal from the site. New polling from Abacus shows a Conservative lead. What is going on at Burlington City Hall? Two Senior staffers are now gone, and councillors ready a challenge to strong mayor powers. The federal government is clamping down on the number of migrant workers in Can

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, says cancer was found during her abdominal surgery earlier this year and she is undergoing “preventative chemotherapy,” she announced Friday. This week, the federal Conservatives called for a vote of non-confidence on Trudeau’s Liberal Government, in an attempt to trigger a Carbon Tax Election... The House of Commons rejected the motion. We look at the growing encampment outside of Hamilton City Hall, which began as an act of protest. Writing in The Sun, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois celebrates the 60th anniversary of poutine and its history. The future of the Ford government’s signature Highway 413 project could soon be clearer, with an agreement between Ottawa and Queen’s Park almost final. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Saad Salman, Royal Commentator, Founder and Editor of The Royal Watcher (https://royalwatcherblog.com/), Royal Contributor for ELLE. Andrew Scheer. House leader of the fficial ppositi

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: We examine the escalator tax on alcohol and ponder if it's worth keeping when we just keep pushing it back. Bruce Winder discusses how some retailers are lowering their prices in order to win back customers. Environment minister Guilbeault's comments about roadbuilding are still creating trouble for him, and work for his staff. The total solar eclipse is coming up! Dr. Elania Hyde walks us through how we can look, and maybe even take pictures of the event safely. In a new piece for The Conversation Dr. Andrew Grant and his co-authors explain why consultation with Indigenous communities is the key to success with Ontario's "Ring of Fire." Pierre Poilievre is demanding that a carbon tax election be held, after putting forth a no-confidence motion in Parliament. According to the National Post, there's a "secret RCMP report" that says Canadians may well revolt once they realize how broke they are. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stands staunchly against fourplexes being

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says that the federal government will stop sending arms to Israel. What is changing, and what will the fallout be? Guest: Dr. Jack Cunningham, Ph.D., Program Coordinator at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, in Trinity College and the Munk School, University of Toronto

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: We look at the legacy of Brian Mulroney. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says that the federal government will stop sending arms to Israel. Citing escalating security concerns, The Playhouse cinema says it has had to postpone an upcoming film festival organized by the Hamilton Jewish Federation, calling the decision “difficult” and apologizing to ticket holders. Avoiding a CRA audit, navigating the new tax rules. Young workers in Canada under the age of 40 feel lonely and isolated, according to a new report from TELUS Health. Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville is set to be renamed after the Halton District School Board deemed the term 'Iroquois' to be offensive, following after an anonymous complaint, but Indigenous elders say they were not consulted on this. Is the NDP no longer the party of Jack Layton and Tom Mulcair? What happens to long-time members of the federal parties as they change? Poilievre's motion to topple the carbon tax was defeated in

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: On this surprisingly wintry last day of winter, we get an update on the famous falcons of Hamilton! More than seven months after her separation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is ready to talk. Hertz, the rental car company that announced in January it was selling roughly a third of the electric vehicles in its fleet, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years. What does the latest inflation update regarding February mean, overall? Applicants for Canada’s federal research grants aren’t screened for affiliation with China’s Thousand Talents Program. Dan McTeague is warning us that the Greater Toronto Area could see gas prices soar by 20 cents per litre between now and the May long weekend, continuing the upward trend in the region. Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca is calling on the city to approve a bylaw that would prohibit protests outside places of worship, schools, an

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Big changes coming to the Around the Bay race. Trudeau’s “crazy job”. Ontario Liberals to rule out the carbon tax, if they form government in 2026. Treated poorly in a store recently? Why is that? Putin (shockingly) wins Russian election. Don’t want to be in a nursing home? There are some creative solutions it seems. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Anna Lewis, Race Director of ‘Around the Bay’. Tim Powers, Chairman of Summa Strategies and Managing Director of Abacus Data. Oksana Kishchuk, Director of Strategy and Insights with Abacus Data. Colin D’Mello, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief, Global News. Muhammad Ali, Vice President with Crestview Strategies. Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst & Author, ‘Retail Before, During & After COVID-19’. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University. Pat Dunn, Founder and Executive Director of Senior Women Living Together. Scott Radley, host of the Scott Radley show and columnis

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Elon Musk's SpaceX company has conducted a third test flight of the most powerful rocket ever built. The Sound of Music Festival is teaming up with the Burlington Performing Arts Centre for 2024. Ontario’s education minister, Stephen Lecce, says the province is prepared to force the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to sell the vacant Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School site if they continue "hoarding" it. What is Measles, how has it been managed before and what will work nowadays? Should municipalities be converting parking lots into housing spaces? We look at China’s reaction to the talk of the TikTok ban in the U.S., and Canada’s considerations. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Paul Delaney. Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Science - Department of Physics & Astronomy at York University. Steve Cussons, Sound of Music Festival Board Chair & Acting Executive Director. Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Ene

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Writing in the Globe and Mail, David Moscrop asks “Letting 16-year-olds quit school to go into skilled trades? What can go wrong?” For some Loblaw customers in Ontario, their next grocery run might look and feel a little different. Writing for ‘The Conversation,’ Professor Doug Jacobson looked at whether governments should ban TikTok, as well as if they even can. Should we be seeing and hearing more of Mayor Andrea Horwath during this initial fallout period following the cybersecurity incident that has affected the city of Hamilton, or is this a situation that calls for playing cards close to your vest? How much will gas prices actually increase on April 1st? It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: David Moscrop, contributing columnist with the Washington Post, the host of the podcasts ‘Open to Debate’ and ‘Left Looking In’ as well as author of ‘Too Dumb for Democracy?’ a book about why we make bad political decisions. Marvin Ryder, Professor

According to Putin, he's prepared to deploy nuclear weapons in the event Russia has its sovereignty or independence threatened. Guest: Dr. Elliot Tepper, Emeritus Professor of Political Science with Carleton University

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Are we ever going to see anyone held accountable following the Chinese infiltration of the Winnipeg microbiology lab? There are calls to halt the Carbon Tax hikes that are set to happen in April and they're not coming from just anyone. Do Canadians feel that the Online Harms Act will make social media safer? It's no secret that there are different types of mortgages and as rates change some are more favourable than others. Where's the 'sweet spot' to set your mortgage? Has a real pharmacare plan actually been put forward by Trudeau? According to Putin, he's prepared to deploy nuclear weapons in the event Russia has its sovereignty or independence threatened. TikTok is staring down the barrel of a ban in the US if the House of Representatives sees a bipartisan bill pass unless it divests from Chinese ownership. How are things at Hamilton City Hall as it recovers from a ransomware attack? Guests: Dr. Robert Huish, Associate Professor with the Department of Interna

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: A photo released by Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, over the weekend was meant to calm speculation as to her whereabouts. Writing in the Globe and Mail, Campbell Clark says that if Chrystia Freeland and the federal Liberals are looking for a low-cost economic initiative, the answer lies with the office of Immigration Minister Marc Miller. Keith Mackey joins us to share his insights on two aviation stories catching our eyes today. Overall, about 63 per cent of Canadians would prefer to see lower spending in Trudeau’s budget, according to the poll by Nanos Research Group conducted for Bloomberg. AutoCate, a newly-launched membership-based platform geared toward women, aims to reduce fraud and discrimination in the auto repair industry. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation gave out $14.9 million in bonuses in 2023, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Bill C-63, the Online Harms Bill, continues to be a point

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Did you watch The Oscars last night? How do we get more physicians in Ontario? Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government will cap the annual alcohol excise tax increase on beer, spirits and wine at two per cent for an additional two years. How can we fix Canada’s military recruiting crunch? On March 15th, the Cancer Assistance Program is celebrating 30 years of providing free practical services to cancer patients and their families in the greater Hamilton Area! It’s the fourth anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the global COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic. Guests: Bill Brioux, television critic and author Dr. Shawn Whatley is a practicing physician, the author of When Politics Comes Before Patients — Why and How Canadian Medicare is Failing, and a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute CJ Hélie, President of Beer Canada Richard Shimooka, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute Dusty Vacon, Manager o

We look at the significance of Sweden joining NATO. Guest: Dr. Aurel Braun, Professor of International Relations and a Senior Member of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged the federal government to cancel or put a hold on the carbon tax ahead of a planned increase, warning that if they don’t, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could get annihilated in the next election. How McMaster’s planetarium is preparing for the eclipse? How did Biden’s State of the Union Address go over? Brandi Ferenc, from Stouffville, Ont., is the keynote speaker at this year’s International Women’s Day Luncheon in Barrie. What is the time-frame we can reasonably expect for a municipality like Hamilton recovering from ransomware attacks? Could the NDP end up forming an official opposition to a Conservative federal government? Hamilton’s own Vicki Gruber, the harbour master for the ports of Hamilton and Oshawa, is among the women paving the way for others in the marine industry. We look at the significance of Sweden joining NATO. Guests: Wayne Petrozzi, Professor Emeritus of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolit

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: The Hamilton Police Service’s Shooting Response Unit has been made permanent. As you heard from Marit Stiles on yesterday’s show, the leader of Ontario’s new democrats wants Doug Ford’s provincial government to remove tolls from the 407 and make it a highway for transport trucks. A carbon fee with your pizza? Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza chain is planning on pairing the two. You may have seen the story of a gravestone in Peterborough that has been defaced, allegedly by a family member who wished to not have their own name on it. Michael Spavor has reportedly reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the federal government. The Emergencies Act remains unchanged, despite recommendations… where does that leave us, and given our situation in Canada, could we have another convoy? New Leger polling, conducted exclusively for The National Post, found that many Canadians think Canada is broken and are angry with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada’s military in a r