City Hall Hotline is back! Regina Mayor Michael Fougere and Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark join the show for City Hall Hotline. Do you have a question for your mayor? Give us a call at 1-877-332-8255 or send a text to 306306.

Open session

Open lines

Premier Scott Moe joins John as he looks ahead at 2020. He will share what's on his to-do list this year.

Australian wildfires have displaced thousands and led to at least 20 deaths with dozens more missing, and temperatures above 40 degrees making the situation worse. About 87 Canadian firefighters are currently in the fire-stricken country helping to battle the deadly wildfires, marking the first time Canada has made a coordinated effort to send firefighters to the southern nation. To give the latest on the Canadians fighting the fires and what they're doing to help the situation, John is joined by Melanie Morin with the Winnipeg-based Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, where the efforts are being coordinated.

Is AI going to replace our jobs in the future? According to the federal government AI is probably not going to create a "doomsday scenario" where automation eliminates half of our jobs, but artificial intelligence could result in the automation of about 11% of Canadian jobs over the next 15-20 years while a further 29% are expected to "change significantly" due to automation. Are you concerned for the future because of the rapid rise of AI? Will AI replace jobs in your industry, and will it ever be able to outperform a real human? Should we be worried? Give us a call at 1-877-332-8255 and let us know what you think about the rise of the machines.

When it comes to western alienation, Trudeau just doesn't get it. That's according to Joe Oliver, former federal minister of finance and natural resources. Oliver says Trudeau's policies around emission targets and implementing a UN declaration requiring Indigenous consultation on resource projects both have noble intentions, but neither will end up slowing climate change and could further sour Ottawa's relationship with the western provinces. Oliver joins Gormley to discuss what Trudeau should be doing differently if he wants to reduce the feelings of western alienation.

The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session

The lockout at Regina's Co-op Refinery Complex is now entering its second month, and tensions are running high. After a court order prevented picketing UNIFOR members from holding up trucks at the gate for longer than 10 minutes, there were a number of complaints from trucking companies who had reported vandalism outside the complex including popped tires and airbags, hoods unlatched, and more. Brad Delorey with the Co-op Refinery Complex joins Gormley now to discuss the latest in the standoff, his thoughts on last week's allegations, and how negotiations with the union are proceeding.

With the new year just beginning, many are thinking about self-improvement and their resolutions for self-improvement in 2020. Psychiatrist Marcia Sirota says there are some simple reasons people break their resolutions, such as setting too many, going with superficial resolutions, high pressure to perform, and unrealistic expectations. She says the way to be successful is to focus on "wants" instead of "shoulds" and not putting excessive pressure on yourself. Sirota joins Gormley to discuss how to set achievable goals for yourself over the coming year, and some tactics you can use to stick to your goals and not let them fall by the wayside.