- With Jacob Hoggard sentenced for sexual assault, what are the larger implications?
Friday, October 21st 2022
Guest: Alyshah Hasham, crime and court reporter
Jacob Hoggard, the former lead singer of the band Hedley, has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault. The Canadian rock star was sentenced by a Superior Court justice on Thursday, after a jury found him guilty following a trial that began last May. The case has opened up an important conversation around consent and how it is perceived by the justice system and our society. The sentencing of Hoggard may have larger implications in a country where only one in 15 reported cases of sexual assault end with a conviction.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.
- Canada’s growing corporate tax gap
Thursday, October 20th 2022
Guest: DT Cochrane, economist with Canadians for Tax Fairness
Canada’s largest corporations avoided paying $30 billion in taxes last year, according to a new report from the non-profit organization Canadians for Tax Fairness. Compared to previous years this was due to record profits and a very low tax rate, and lower than the one stipulated in the tax code. How did this happen? While it all appears to be legal, is it fair? We talk and explain the tax gap and how more information about these practices could benefit all Canadians.
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.
- The inner workings of hostage diplomacy and prisoner swaps
Wednesday, October 19th 2022
Guest: Jonathan Franks, crisis management consultant and president of Lucid Strategies
Hostage diplomacy is on the rise and some experts believe that more civilians are in the crosshairs of governments using this tactic for their own purposes. Canadians are familiar with the case of “The Two Michaels,” who were imprisoned in China and only freed after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was released from Canadian custody. Many are now watching the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Canadian-born Paul Whelan as they are being held in Russia. While there are rumours of a deal that may be able to free them, there are no easy paths or outcomes when human lives are being used as pawns in international diplomacy.
This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar
- Toronto, the not so good. Can’t we do better?
Tuesday, October 18th 2022
Guest: Edward Keenan, city columnist
As municipal elections across Ontario enter their final week, the Toronto election has been bereft of interest. Sure, housing and affordability are big issues, but those will require all levels of government working together to tackle. There are a lot of small things that add up to big quality of life improvements when living in a city, and it’s some of those where it feels like the city is dropping the ball. The Star has been exploring these issues in the “Can’t We Do Better” series.
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.
Audio source: CARP
- Are we ready to head back to the office? If so, how?
Monday, October 17th 2022
Guest: Nora Jenkins Townson, founder of Bright and Early
After two and a half years of lockdowns and working from home for millions of Canadians, many employers are expecting workers to return to the office. But according to a recent survey, four out of five Canadians would prefer to continue working from home and human resource experts are warning companies to remain flexible with their back-to-office demands or risk losing employees. Is it even possible to go back to a pre-pandemic work practices and culture or do employers need to find ways to adapt to a new reality? Nora Jenkins Townson, founder of Bright and Early, a modern HR consultancy focusing on designing human-centred, inclusive workplaces joins “This Matters.”
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley
