RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  WHERE ARE OTTAWA AND QUEENS PARK HEADED IN 2024?

Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Cheri Di Novo, former Ontario NDP MPP and a recipient of the Order of Canada, and George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre. who served both as a deputy premier and minister of health.

As we begin the new year of 2024, will it be same old same old when it comes to our politics? Will Bonnie Crombie’s tenure as Ontario Liberal leader change the dynamics at Queen’s Park even though she doesn’t have a seat. Has Premier Ford put the land swap scandal behind him and what about Ontario Place? At the federal level, will Trudeau stay or go? Right now the consensus seems to be that he will stay. And the honeymoon seems to be over for Toronto mayor Olivia Chow. Now she will have to pass a budget through council and with that a tax increase. Numbers.

ISRAEL SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN JUDICIAL OVERHAUL & ISRAEL WILL COUNTER SOUTH AFRICA IN THE WORLD COURT

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Amos Guiora, Professor of law at the university of Utah who served 20 years in the IDF JAG corps including legal advisor to IDF commanders in Gaza Strip as well as Lidar Grave Lazi, News Anchor and Editor-in-Chief of ILTV based in Tel Aviv.

There are major developments in Israel which have big implications for the Israel-Hamas war. Yesterday, the high court overthrew the major judicial overhaul passed by the Netanyahu government which would limit the authority of the courts. This plan was the cause of those huge weekly anti- government protests last year and many say the deep divisions in the country led the way for Oct 7. There has been a show of wartime unity but will this torpedo that? And, South Africa, a country with some of the worst records for corruption and abuse, is taking Israel to the International court in the Hague accusing it of genocide. Amos wrote the latest on the Israel-Hamas war here.

NEW YEAR FOOD RESOLUTIONS

Libby is now joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.

It’s the first week of the new year and we are going to indulge in the annual pastime of predicting trends and topics. We begin with food - Inflation is easing but it is still really expensive to fill your grocery cart. And what cuisines will be trendy and celebrated this year? Also, with many New Year resolutions revolving around eating healthy, how will we negotiate that?