The Big Five Podcast

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• The streets were filled with excitement and joy last night as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in game 7 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
• Eric Duhaime has reversed course on Bill 96 as he tries to attract disaffected CAQ voters. In a nutshell - Duhaime pointed the finger at Anglos, saying that despite his previous position, it did not translate into support.
• During an International Workers' Day demonstration that drew thousands of people to Montreal on Saturday, activists staged a mock guillotine execution of Labour Minister Jean Boulet. 
• The activist collective "Robins des ruelles" were back at it again this weekend as they stole from various stores in Montreal and Quebec City. 

Elias Makos is joined by Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil.

• It will be absolute bedlam in Montreal tonight as the Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning play game six of their Stanley Cup Playoff series.
• The Mayor of Montreal, Sorraya Martinez Ferrada, urged residents and merchants to sweep litter in front of their homes and businesses to accelerate the city's lagging spring cleanup.
• Starting today, refugees entering Canada will have to pay $4 for every prescription and 30 per cent of the cost of supplemental health products and services. 
• The debate over expanding assisted dying in Canada is heating up—and now it’s drawing in the country’s top Catholic leader. Toronto’s Archbishop is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to “choose life, not death."
• Quebec’s minimum wage is now $16.60 an hour. Is that enough? 

Joining us on The Big Five: Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. The topics of the day include the "price of dignity" in Quebec and how much money families need to live comfortably, plus the federal government is opening the door to a major shakeup on how airports are run.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette.

Among the topics discussed were

• If you were hoping for major changes or a bold vision in yesterday’s spring economic update… you were left disappointed
• A second Quebec furniture manufacturing is closing down and laying off dozens of workers in the span of 24 hours. According to Unifor, Bestar, which has a plant in Lac-Mégantic, Que., is shutting down, leaving 120 workers without a job
• One Quebecer has seen a family doctor 362 times in 2024.  The think tank SecondStreet.org also revealed that over 11 thousand people had over 50 appointments with a family doctor
• An independent bookstore in Quebec City is facing threats of boycott for hosting the launch of Éric Duhaime's latest book last week

Elias Makos is once again joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal.

• A young Montreal entrepreneur has decided to take matters into his own hands to repair potholes across the city.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the Canada Strong fund yesterday, what he’s billing as the country’s first sovereign wealth fund.
• A man currently on parole for various frauds, theft and possession of forged documents, has been arrested for having defrauded 17 more victims while on parole.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.

• There was another assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life over the weekend. 
• The attempt on the President’s life is not changing the plans of Quebec Premier Christine Frechette, who will be in Washington D.C., to start off the week.
• It’s been almost a year since Quebec implemented new rules about tipping in Quebec via Bill 72.
• A Federal Court justice has accepted at the 11th hour to push the deportation of the driver who was responsible for the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018.

Elias Makos welcomes in Beryl Wajsman, president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800.

• It was Eric Duhaime’s turn yesterday to reverse course on his stance on Bill 96. Duhaime told reporters yesterday that he would amend the Bill and continue to make use of the notwithstanding clause.
• The current state (or lack of state) of trade talks between Canada and the U.S. is becoming a bigger story every day as we approach key dates this summer. Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced his irritation to reporters on Thursday, pushing back on the nation that provincial booze bans were hurting negotiations. 

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.

• Ottawa is accusing PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of spreading "conspiracy theories.” This after clips of Plamondon speaking at a town hall organized by CIJA – The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs – are gaining traction online.
• Québec Solidaire parliamentary leader Ruba Ghazal is demanding the Fréchette government to adopt a law to help prevent femicides and to increase the budget of shelters for women victims of domestic violence.
• Economist Pierre-Carl Michaud is ruffling feathers with a piece in L'actualité on some of the most sacred savings vehicles in Canada: the RRSP and the TFSA. He argues there’s no proof that these vehicles actually increase savings.
• The U.K has passed a bill that would ban children born after January 1st 2009, from buying cigarettes during their lifetime.

Elias Makos is joined by Graham Singh, CEO of Releven, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• After being confronted by a poll that showed him winning a majority government – but only if he ditched his promise of a referendum – Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is sticking to his convictions.
• Premier Christine Fréchette unveiled her cabinet yesterday. The cabinet has 29 ministers in total, 12 women and 17 men. Many who were in the last cabinet shuffle have kept their roles including Justice Minister Simon Jolin Barrette and Finance Minister Eric Girard. 
• Turns out all Quebec needs to lower the ER occupancy in the province is the Habs making the playoffs.

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal.

• The Parti Québécois would steamroll its way to a majority government – if they drop the pledge to hold a referendum. A new Leger poll for Journal de Montréal says the party would get 39% of the vote in that scenario.
• Christine Fréchette will reveal her cabinet today. On Tout le Monde en parle Sunday, the new premier said that her cabinet will be a mix of change and continuity.
• Canada Post posted a staggering $1.57 billion loss before tax in 2025 — its worst ever — with losses jumping nearly 87 per cent in just one year.
• The number of aggressive dogs has increased by 41 percent since 2021.