On Point With Alex Pierson

Alex dicusses how Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez really feels about Israel. 

Alex is joined by Shae Invidiata, founder and executive director of Free Them, an organization that focuses on ending slavery and human trafficking. Tinder has become a new tool for sex trafficking after reports say that three people are facing charges for using the app to lure unsuspecting victims. The two men and woman used Tinder to lure people in hopes of recruiting them for the sex trade. In the scary world of social media, people need to start exercising more caution.

Alex is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Counsel at NATIONAL Public Relations, and Anthony Furey, Sun / Postmedia columnist & national comment editor. Topics include: Long-term care homes wanting to end mandatory annual inspections, will the government listen after an Ontario judge says that carding doesn’t work, Kevin Hart potentially hosting Oscars after twitter controversy and more.

Joining Alex for ON Point is Jane Meadus, Staff Lawyer and Institutional Advocate at Advocacy Centre for the Elderly. It’s obvious that the Ford government needs to cut costs and their focus is on health care. Groups that represent the province’s long-term care homes have been asking to end annual inspections altogether. Considering there are already issues of elder abuse and neglect, ending annual inspections wouldn’t be cutting costs, it would be cutting the last shred of oversight we have left in place.

Tonight's top talkers are: Scott Thompson - Global News Radio Hamilton – Noon – 3pm & Jason Chapman – Global News Radio Toronto Executive Producer Topics include: After being dumped from the Oscars for tweets from years ago, Kevin Hart may still host the award show and Seinfeld is now falling foul amongst Millenials after online commentators criticize the comedy. 

Adam Vaughan worries that the provincial government is going to use data governance and privacy concerns as a cover to cancel Sidewalk Labs’ smart city project on Toronto’s waterfront. His hatred for Ford is blinding him from the very real concerns about this project. The smart city is supposed to be a step into the future, but without more transparency the project will be stuck in the past.

Alex Pierson is joined by Camille Labchuk, Animal Lawyer and Executive Director of Animal Justice, to discuss a Judge ruling the enforcement powers of the Ontario Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals as unconstitutional. The ruling says that the province must re-write laws governing the organization to remedy the situation. The OSPCA could still appeal the ruling, but that has not happened yet.

Joining Alex Pierson for ON Point is joined by Paul Davis, Eductaor on Social Media, Bullying and Sexting, to talk about the latest news coming out of New Brunswick. In recent months, the RCMP's Internet Child Exploitation Unit identified four children between the ages of eight and twelve in New Brunswick who voluntarily shared nude pictures or videos of themselves. Children don't have the maturity to realize the ramifacations of these decisions, and parents need to do something about it.

Alex Pierson is joined by Adam Oldfield, Global News Tech Expert, to talk about Apple's diminishing stock value. Apple blames the reduced revenue forecast on the trade war Donald Trump initiated with China, but there may be other reasons. Even with Apple's stock falling, their future looks bright.

Alex is joined by Omar Khan, Vice President Public Affairs at Hill and Knowlton Strategies, Liberal Party Executive and Melissa Lantsman, Vice President Public Affairs at Hill and Knowlton Strategies, Conservative Strategist. Topics Include: Thirteen Canadians have been detained in China since the arrest of Huawei executive Mung Wanzhou, 25 women may have received faulty cancer treatment in a Hamilton hospital, should Parliament allow minors and the mentally ill to end their lives with the help of a doctor and more.

Alex Pierson is joined by Dr. Brett Belchetz, Co-founder and CEO at Maple, to talk about a scenario that would give any woman nightmares. 25 women at a Hamilton hospital may have received faulty cancer treatment from a broken piece of equipment. Cervical cancer is one of the most deadly cancers a woman can get, so how did 25 people receive faulty radiation?

Tonight's Top Talkers are: Craig Needles - Global News Radio London – 9am - Noon & Drex – Host of The Shift - Global News Radio Topics include: Should Parliament allow minors and the mentally ill to end their lives with the aid of a doctor and World Junior Team Canada Captain, Maxime Comtois, being harrassed online after loss to Finland

Toronto councillor, Kristyn Wong-Tam, claimed she became the target of an alt-right slander campaign in the fall municipal election. No politician deserves the treatment that Tam received, but pointing a finger of blame at the right for creating behaviour that's been around for a long time isn't right. Both sides are guilty of bad behaviour, and in fact, feed off each other.  

Alex is joined by Dave Perry, CEO Investigative Solutions Network Inc, 28-year decorated career with the Toronto Police Service to discuss Toronto;s homicide. Toronto homicide squad has had a difficult year – the team has had to investigate a record-breaking number of killings in Canada’s most populous city, grapple with a rise in deadly gang violence, address criticism about a perceived lack of action in some cases and deal with several high-profile slayings that have strained resources. 

Alex is joined by John Mraz, Former liberal war room director and Bill Hutchison, Journalist/Broadcaster, professor at Seneca. Topics include: The New Years Carbon Tax Conference, Chamber of Commerce CEO apologizes for ‘one-percenter’ tweet, Feds should consider making some criminal pardons automatic, and much more.

Alex is joined by Christina Blizzard, Former Queens Park journalist to discuss Premier Doug Ford’s disappointing first six months in power and how Conservatives are questioning the way they choose a leader.

Monologue: You worry about you. I will worry about me. Why 2019 will be the year of pushback

Alex is joined by Christian Leuprecht, Professor of Political Science at the Royal Military College of Canada, for ON Point. The conversation is about Michael Kovrig, one of the Canadians who is being detained in China and being denied access to his lawyers. Canada is trying to figure out a plan of action. In Ottawa there was a high level call with top Canadian officials from national security, but where does that leave Kovrig? 

Alex Pierson is joined by Ann Cavoukian, Distinguished Expert-in-Residence, Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence, Ryerson University, to discuss StatsCan’s planned pilot census. First StatsCan was taking people's banking information without their knowledge and now the new census would be mandatory for people to answer. As StatsCan asks for more and more of our personal information, the question must be asked: do we really have privacy anymore?

Alex is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Counsel at NATIONAL Public Relations, and Anthony Furey, Sun / Postmedia columnist & national comment editor. Topics include: Canadian who is detained in China is denied access to his lawyers, Conservative Leader Andew Scheer says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the most divisive Prime Minister in Canadian history, the federal Finance Department doesn't expect to balance budgets until 2040 and more.