The Big Five Podcast

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.

• Commissioner for the foreign interference inquiry Marie Josee Hogue released her final report yesterday
• Jagmeet Singh, who was going to bring down the Liberal government at the first chance - is now waffling at the idea, if it would help the Liberals pass COVID-19-like tariff-relief measures for Canadians
• A local book club has been told they can’t hold events at a Montreal library - because their meetings are held in English

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, strategic consultant and former city council and Sue Smith,  a Montreal journalist and broadcaster on The Big 5.

• It was a key election promise for Donald Trump, and through week one of his second term, he has seemingly delivered. Mass arrests across the U.S. of undocumented immigrants
• There are plans for the Province of Quebec to table an integration bill Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge announces.
• Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who received death threats targeting himself and his family, is urging the court to impose a harsher sentence on the accused.

Elias Makos ends the week with Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

• It turns out that Amazon’s decision to cease its logistic operations in Quebec is even more devastating than first thought. Nearly 3,500 - double what was thought on Wednesday
•  Mark Carney has locked up an impressive list of endorsements from Liberal ministers and MPs
• Bill 21 is headed to the Supreme Court of Canada. And seemingly, Quebec’s English school boards are responsible for the only hit the Bill has taken in the court system

Elias Makos welcomes back Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the PR and content firm TNKR Media.

• Yesterday Amazon announced that they would be pulling out of Quebec. Closing 7 warehouses and laying off 1,700 employees in Montreal, Laval and other cities
• Appearing on Toronto news station CP 24, Pierre Poilievre was asked about gender identity, and whether or not he would follow suit with Trump on the matter
• The Supreme Court of Canada will announce any moment whether it will hear a challenge of Quebec’s controversial secularism law, known as Bill 21

Elias Makos is joined by Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• Amazon has just announced that it is ceasing its operations in Quebec
• Quebec’s rental board has approved a maximum rent increase of 5.9% for 2025…. the highest in 30 years
• Donald Trump says the tariffs he’s promising to hit Canada with have nothing to do with trade negotiations, but with fentanyl and immigration

Elias Makos 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 Political analyst Karim Boulos on the Big 5.

• it’s official Donald Trump is the President of the United States.
• Shooting near the Canadian border results in the death of a US border patrol agent.
• Chrystia Freeland is making media appearances as she tries to drum up support for her Liberal leadership campaign.

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor.

• Officials here in Canada still don’t know what Trump will actually do when it comes to tariffs against this country
• A new Wall Street Journal poll finds two-thirds of Americans are opposed to Donald Trump’s idea of making Canada the 51st state
• A report by Radio-Canada says the RCMP rushed to buy border-surveillance drones when Donald Trump was elected - but can’t use the drones because they’re made by a Chinese company that Washington wants nowhere near the border
• Montreal police are urging residents not to post photos or videos of porch pirates online, as it could jeopardize legal cases

Elias Makos caps off the week with Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Neil Drabkin, former chief of staff in the Harper government.

• It’s official - Mark Carney has officially entered the race for Liberal leadership at an event in Edmonton
• Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is warning the Trump administration against imposing tariffs against Canada - saying there will be retaliation
• A shockingly high percentage of Canadians would want to become part of the US  - if it comes with perks
• If you liked them you better run and get them quick… because Cherry Blossom candy has come to an end and will no longer be manufactured

Elias Makos welcomes back Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Akil Alleyne, Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• Chrystia Freeland will dump the carbon tax if she becomes the next Liberal leader. A source close to Freeland says “she will not fight Canadians on a policy they have been clear, they do not support.”
• A report from the Globe and Mail reveals that nearly 50,000 international students, who were granted study permits to come to Canada, did not show up to attend classes at their designated colleges and universities
• Just days before Donald Trump comes back to office, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal. Both Trump and Joe Biden are taking the credit. Who should get it?
• A Walmart customer in Montreal sparked controversy after filming an employee who referred him to a colleague for assistance because she preferred to speak in French

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• “The Hill,” a U.S. political publication centred on Capitol Hill and a must-read for those in policy-making, published an op-ed from Legault titled “A tariff on Canada would be self-inflicted damage for America
• Quebec says they’re ready to deploy another 300 officers at the border in response to Trump’s recent tariff threats
• The Liberal Party of Canada has announced more rules and details for its impending and accelerated leadership race
• A new poll says that half of Canadians are $200 or less away from not being able to pay their bills at the end of the month