The Bill Kelly Show Podcast: 

The Ontario Legislature returned on Tuesday. What happened in Queen’s Park? What will be discussed in this sitting?

Big topics include: the vaccine rollout, when will different Canadians get the COVID-19 shot and mask rules.

GUEST: Richard Brennan, Former Queens Park Journalist for the Toronto Star

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Doug Ford’s latest deal outlines a history of conflict of interests.

The Ford government has used controversial special orders to allow developments on sites involving environmental concerns 14 times since 2018, an analysis by Canada’s National Observer has found.

GUEST: Emma MacIntosh, Reporter for Canada’s National Observer

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The state of federal politics as the House returns:

Despite late-breaking optimism that the delivery delays plaguing Canada’s vaccine rollout may finally be behind him, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his front-bench team should nevertheless be prepared for another round of pointed questions on the state of the supply chain — and the government’s overall performance in managing the pandemic — when the House of Commons reopens for business this week.

ALSO: Gun Ban, Olympics & Huawei

GUEST: Amanda Connolly, Federal Affairs Journalist with Global News

When the Perseverance rover lands on Mars next week, Mariek Schmidt will be ready to search for signs of ancient life — albeit from millions of miles away. The Brock University Earth Sciences Professor is a Participating Scientist with the NASA Mars 2020 Mission scheduled to land at the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater on Thursday, Feb. 18. This will be Schmidt’s third Mars rover mission. Supported by the Canadian Space Agency, Schmidt will represent Brock as the only scientist from a Canadian Institution. She is one of 13 Participating Scientists who were chosen for the role from 119 applicants. Perseverance will collect rock and soil samples for eventual return to Earth by 2034. The rover is fitted with seven key instruments, each with their own team to facilitate their use. Participating Scientists propose ways to use the instruments for their own research and data collection. Schmidt will focus on using an instrument called the PIXL. 

GUEST: Mariek Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences with Brock University

Non-essential businesses are open for the first time since Boxing Day. What challenges will they face with the uncertainty of a third wave and another lockdown if cases rise again?

GUEST: Keanin Loomis, President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

Bureaucratic turf concerns prevented a highly trained team of infection prevention and control experts from helping Ontario long-term care homes in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, an independent commission has heard.

ALSO: The Investigation into the door handles being removed at a retirement home.

GUEST: Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos, Co-Founder of Doctors for Justice in Long-Term Care, Professor at Ontario Tech University