The Big Five Podcast

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Weekend News Anchor at Noovo and a commentator at RDS and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies on The Big 5.

• Montreal synagogue one of Canada-wide Jewish institutions that received threats. Montreal police (SPVM) says at least one synagogue in Montreal is on a list of more than 100 places of worship across Canada that received a threatening email Wednesday morning.
• Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced a six-month freeze on some temporary foreign worker applications in Montreal. 
• The rising number of complaints about garbage in the city

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, columnist for the Hill Times in Ottawa and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. He was previously a diplomat, ministerial advisor and broadcast journalist.

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies 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 on The Big %.

Elias Makos was joined by Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Paul Gott, lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• A secondary school in Oka is taking cellphone bans to the next level. 
• Should the provincial government scrap its gas powered vehicle sale ban?.
• What about the city's infrastructure? How long will it take to make the repairs?

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• François Legault’s government is calling for a quota system to better distribute asylum seekers across the country. 
• Around 200 vulnerable seniors in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve are being deprived of food assistance because Quebec has not authorised federal funding for one community organisation.
• One Quebecer is requesting the use of MAID over a lack of home support following his long COVID.

Elias Makos is joined by Christina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor.

• Antoine Dionne Charest, one of the people leading the Quebec Liberal Party’s relaunch, stopped by CJAD 800 on Monday. He was here to make the case that Quebec needs its own constitution “to affirm who we truly are.” 
• Quebec French Language Minister is keeping his promise. After saying he will meet with English speaking communities, it is confirmed that today is the day
• British researchers unveiled the results of a large study that found no cardiovascular benefits to moderate drinking, and that cancer rates increased from quote “the first drop.”

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Raphaël Melançon, a political analyst for CTV Montreal News at 5 and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies.

• It has been two days of cleanup for many in Quebec after the remnants of Tropical storm Debby hit the province
• A new poll from Abacus data shows that the Conservatives are maintaining their lead against the Liberals if an election were to be held today
• Are battle lines being drawn for the Quebec Liberal leadership?

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Catherine Hogan, high school teacher at Westwood Senior High in Hudson.

• Why has a social housing building in NDG been sitting vacant for 11 years?
• An open letter in The Gazette this morning from Julius Grey and Eric Maldoff takes aim at the new language directives aimed at Quebec’s healthcare sector

Elias Makos caps the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Neil Drabkin, lawyer and political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government.

• Quebec’s health Minister Christian Dube, Minister of the French Language Jean-Francois Roberge, and the Minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers Eric Girard, have written a letter in the Montreal Gazette this morning about the new language directives
• Yet another example of Montreal expertise and technology being exported around the world, and how Montrealers will have to get on a plane if they ever want to experience it

Elias Makos welcomes back Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies.

• We’re getting more details about the shooting that happened in the West Island on Sunday. Do we need to rethink how the justice system treats violent criminals?
• Two men are now in custody in Austria after being linked to a suspected ISIS terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift's upcoming concerts in Vienna
• The president and vice-chancellor of McGill University, Deep Saini, published an open letter in the Montreal Gazette this morning