The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

Ontario will enter Step 2 of the province’s three-step COVID-19 reopening plan at 12:01 a.m. on June 30, the province confirmed on Thursday.

“Because of the tireless work of our health care heroes, and the record setting success of our vaccine rollout, we are able to move into Step Two ahead of schedule on June 30 with the support of our public health experts” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement.

“We are proceeding safely with the re-opening of our province and will continue to work around the clock until the job is done.”

The move means barbers and salons will be able to open two days earlier than expected. Capacity limits for retail stores and patios have also expanded. Outdoor gathering capacity will increase to 25 people while indoor gatherings will be allowed with up to five people.

GUEST: Sabrina Nanji, Queens Park Observer.

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This isn't the first time that the Ford government has announced a reopening or move to a next stage ahead of schedule. It hasn't been easy on businesses that are trying to adapt to a rapidly changing situation. Dan Kelly of the CFIB weighs in on the pros and cons of reopening to step 2. 

GUEST: Dan Kelly, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)

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We get an update from London's Chief Medical Officer of Health, to find out about vaccine eligibility expanding in their region to combat COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

GUEST: Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health for London, Ontario

Hundreds of bodies found on grounds of Saskatchewan residential school site. Shirley is a local residential school survivor and she joins Bill Kelly with her reaction. 

GUEST: Shirley Williams, Professor Emeritus with the Chaney Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies at Trent University

Mayor's Town Hall with Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger 

Topic include: Vaccine Rollout in Hamilton, LRT, Step 2 of Re-opening and more. 

GUEST: Mayor Fred Eisenberger

The Bill Kelly Show Podcast:

The country's military ombudsman has fired a broadside at the Liberal government, accusing the defence minister's office and the Department of National Defence of trying to "exert control" over investigations and ignoring recommendations for change.

Gregory Lick's blistering criticism is contained in a position paper released today — prompted by the ongoing investigations into sexual misconduct in the military.

"The collective actions or, in some cases, the inaction of senior political, military and civilian leadership within the government have eroded trust within the defence community," he said.

Lick is calling for the ombudsman's office to be made entirely independent by allowing it to report directly to Parliament — not the minister's office.

GUEST: Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute

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The Liberals have accused Parliament of becoming toxic to its minority agenda while the Opposition Conservatives say Canada’s institutions are broken under the Trudeau government — finger-pointing that fuels growing speculation voters could soon head to the polls.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ministers are calling out Conservatives for using procedural delay tactics to stop votes from happening on outstanding pieces of legislation, which time is ticking on to pass before the House of Commons breaks for summer on Wednesday.

Trudeau said parliament has become a place of ‘toxicity and obstructionism’, fueling speculation of a fall election.

Are they gearing up for a federal vote?

GUEST:  Richard Brennan, Former Journalist with The Toronto Star covering Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill

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At home, Prime Minister Trudeau is giving us reason to be optimistic about the reopening of the country and our borders -- but worldwide, the pandemic continues. Now there are reports from India of a variant on an already existing variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19: it has been dubbed the "delta plus" variant, and although details are sparse at the moment, it is a reminder that we are all in this together, and the pandemic is not over.

GUEST: Dionne Aleman, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Director, Medical Operations Research Lab at the University of Toronto