Why such confusion around Elliot Lake mall rescue?

Today we’ll be talking about two top issues this week: the unfolding tragedy in the town of Elliot Lake, and whether health-care workers should be required to get flu shots.

Editorial page editor Andrew Phillips is joined by editorial board members Gordon Barthos and Carol Goar.

Listen now

Download the MP3

Should bike helmets be mandatory?

Today we’ll be talking about two hot button issues: whether cyclists should be forced to wear helmets, and whether there should be a so-called right to assisted suicide in Canada.

Editorial page editor Andrew Phillips is joined by editorial board members Gordon Barthos and Leslie Papp.

 

Listen Now

(Right-click and 'Save link as' to save the MP3)

 

Is there any good reason people should be allowed to buy handguns?

We don't think so. Handguns owned even by law-abiding citizens are often stolen and end up in the hands of gang members. The recent shooting at the Eaton Centre is a reminder of the tragic consequences.

But what's needed is a national ban, which would require action from the federal government. This government is obviously not going to do that.

Also in this week's podcast, we take a look at the atrocities in Syria. The international community should mobilize to put an end to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Instead, we now seem to have an old-fashioned war-by-proxy developing in the region.

Editorial page editor Andrew Phillips is joined by editorial board members Kerry Gillespie and Leslie Papp, and by columnist Haroon Siddiqui.

 

Listen now

 

Why are we laying off youth workers who help keep kids out of gangs?

Today we’ll be talking about what to do about the monarchy in Canada now that we’ve celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And we’ll look at the issues in the wake of the shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

Is it time to cut ties with the monarchy?
We're a modern, diverse and multi-cultural nation, so why do we need a monarch who only serves as a throw-back to when we were a British colony? On the other hand, what's the problem that abolishing the monarchy would solve for Canada, other than the fact that it's an old-fashioned institution?

Where are the youth workers?
In the wake of the Eaton Centre shooting on the weekend, we find that many of the city workers whose job it is to stop young people from getting involved in gang life face layoffs. This move dates back to Mayor Rob Ford's budget cuts in the search for gravy. But there's a solid body of evidence that youth outreach programs work, so why are there so few of these workers and why are we planning to lay off many of the ones that we DO have?

Editorial page editor Andrew Phillips is joined by editorial board members Gordon Barthos and Leslie Papp, and by columnist Bob Hepburn.

 

Listen now