The Big Five Podcast

Trudie Mason is joined by Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall.

• Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal duty to consult Indigenous communities on major infrastructure projects does not amount to giving them veto power
• The Carney government is proposing sweeping immigration reforms aimed at streamlining the system and tightening border security
• Climate activists from the group Dernière génération Canada shut down Saint-Denis Street in Montreal for several hours on Tuesday 
• Montreal is reworking its decades-old noise bylaw to better support cultural venues while respecting residents’ peace

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.

• Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Premiers met yesterday to discuss the fast-tracking of major energy and infrastructure projects
• April was the busiest month for asylum seekers entering Quebec at the Lacolle border crossing since Roxham Road was closed in 2023
• The number of complaints to Quebec’s language watchdog, the OQLF, over violations of French-language rules has hit a record high for the eighth consecutive year
• Nadia Poirier, who ran for Québec solidaire in the recent Terrebonne by-election, has left the party to join the Parti Québécois

Elias Makos starts the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist.

• The Royal Bank of Canada is refusing to reimburse dozens of customers who were scammed out of $10,000
• A 24-year-old Laval woman who robbed 11 seniors of nearly $90,000 will not have a criminal record
• Canada’s premiers are meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon to propose which major infrastructure projects should be prioritized for fast-tracking under Carney’s plan to cut federal approval times
• After successfully contesting unfair rent increases at Quebec’s housing tribunal (TAL), a tenant named Steve says he’s now blacklisted by landlords

Elias Makos ends the week with Neil Drabkin, a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government, and Dan Delmar, co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada.

• A Quebec cross-party committee is recommending that children under 14 be banned from using social media without parental consent
• Do we need more communal child discipline?
• In a surprising political move, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre has endorsed Conservative Party of Quebec leader Éric Duhaime
• Quebec’s language watchdog, the OQLF, contacted Montreal’s transit agency at least six times over nine months to push for the removal of the word “go” from bus displays supporting CF Montréal
• The Toronto band Martha and the Muffins are taking yet another stand against Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre and his use of their song Echo Beach at campaign rallies

Elias Makos is joined by political analyst Karim Boulos and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• Immigration Minister Jean-Francois Roberge has passed a new law 
• The CAQ is opposing a court ruling that would recognize more than two parents for a child.
• Groupe Jaspe has lost a constitutional challenge 
• In a few weeks, wines, spirits, and even champagne normally sold in branches of the SAQ will find their way to the shelves of six depanneurs and grocery stores in the Montreal area.

Elias Makos is joined by Antonine Yaccarini, Political Analysts, PR Expert and former PQ and CAQ staffer, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies.

• In King Charles III’s speech from the throne, he delivered a series of subtle but pointed messages that many say were aimed at Donald Trump
• Hours after that speech seeped with declarations of sovereignty, Donald Trump took to social media yesterday to once again bring up Canada becoming the 51st state
• Quebec’s National Assembly unanimously passed a motion to cut all ties with the monarchy

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• King Charles and Queen Camilla conclude their brief Canadian visit today with a ceremonial parade through downtown Ottawa and a historic throne speech in Parliament
• Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend his first question period on Wednesday but will not continue Justin Trudeau’s tradition of answering all questions in the House of Commons on that day
• Montreal police will now have to clearly tell people they are allowed to leave during police checks 
• Montreal has a goal of zero waste landfills by 2030 but the goal is facing resistance from residents

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• King Charles and Queen Camilla are arriving in Ottawa today for their first Canadian visit since the King’s coronation
• The RCMP has warned of a sharp rise in terrorism activity in Canada, reporting a 488% increase in terrorism-related charges over the past year
• A Laval pharmacist is facing a criminal charge for allegedly refusing to hand over an EpiPen to police officers trying to save a six month old baby in anaphylactic shock
• A listener says they're considering going ‘au naturel’ this summer when they were confronted with a sale price of $14.99 for a stick of deodorant

Elias caps off the week with 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 Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• A public inquiry into Quebec’s SAAQclic digital platform has revealed that external IT contractors saw their hourly rates soar from $82 to $350 without proper justification
• The National Post this morning writes about just how different things are under Carney, saying “ministers get called out, punctuality matters and patience is on short supply”
• In shock news coming out of the US the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's certification to enroll international students

Elias Makos welcomes back Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for Noovo and CTV Montreal News at 5. He is also the president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies.

• A Quebec City bar sparked outrage after posting a job ad on Facebook seeking a barmaid who was not “woke,” pro-Liberal, pro-CAQ, or supportive of COVID-19 health measures
• A new Leger poll shows that 61% of Quebecers now support lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05%
• Elbows up! Except if you're the Canada Pension Plan. The CPP fund’s U.S. exposure has grown to 47%, despite calls for it to increase investments at home