The Big Five Podcast

Elias Makos welcomes back Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Trudie Mason veteran newscaster at CJAD 800.

• The wealthiest Canadians will pay more - that’s one of the underlying messages of this year’s Federal Budget
• Parti Quebecois leader Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon is pushing back on criticism that he is using fear and resentment in a bid to sell voters on sovereignty
• High ticket prices seem to be the new norm. In February tickets to see CF Montreal play a game against Inter Miami with Lionel Messi were selling for as high as $10,000 a ticket on some resale sites… Have you struggled to buy tickets to see someone perform or a game?

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, columnist for the Hill Times in Ottawa and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Neil Drabkin, Immigration Lawyer, Political Commentator & former chief-of-staff to the Harper Government.

• PSPP’s relentless calls for a third referendum have some federalist Quebecers muttering another “p” word - partition
• Budget Day 2024! The former Bank of Canada governor says it’s going to be the worst one in 40 years
• After Iran attacked Israel with a bombardment of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles on Saturday and Sunday, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is urging Israel to “take the win’ and not retaliate
• How do we solve a problem like the Big O roof? Turns out there isn’t one solution that everyone will be happy with
• The Lachine Canal has recently removed around 30 public trash cans

Elias Makos begins the week with David Heurtel, Former Quebec liberal cabinet minister, Council at Fasken and political analyst, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the PR and content firm TNKR Media.

• The federal budget drops tomorrow. And after a massive two-week spending tour by the Liberals, questions now surround how the government will pay for it
• A paraplegic Quebec man chose medical assistance in dying after a four-day stay in an ER left him in excruciating pain
• Iran attacked Israel over the weekend. The news came out as pro-Palestinian protesters once again took to the streets demanding a ceasefire
• Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says that the Parti Quebecois is indeed the leading political force in Quebec

Elias Makos caps off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Akil Alleyne, reporter, commentator and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• Another nugget from the Liberal government ahead of next week’s budget - Canada will allow 30-year mortgages on newly built property for first-time home buyers
• Should we just give it a rest with Bill 21?

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, Neil Drabkin, Immigration Lawyer, Political Commentator & former chief-of-staff to the Harper Government,

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified at the foreign interference inquiry on Wednesday
• The Quebec government has tabled a bill that would see people who harass or threaten Quebec politicians hit with a court injunction or fines up to $1,500
• For the first time in Quebec, supernurses will be able to take care of patients without being supervised by a doctor

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, columnist for the Hill Times in Ottawa and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• Faced with a second week of pre-budget announcements from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that seemingly stomp all over provincial jurisdiction, Francois Legault declared he’s had enough
• Justin Trudeau will testify at the foreign interference inquiry this afternoon
• An English teacher working for a French-language school service centre has had his complaint dismissed

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Weekend News Anchor at Noovo and a commentator at RDS, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the PR and content firm TNKR Media.

• Ahead of the federal budget, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged $73 billion in additional defence spending over the next two decades
• Should we limit screen time for youth? Quebec is not ruling out a legislation which would do just that
• One teacher who participated in the reality TV show “Survivor Quebec” has been fired for doing the show without the agreement of her employer

Elias Makos starts the week off with David Heurtel, Former Quebec liberal cabinet minister, Council at Fasken and political analyst, and Akil Alleyne, Reporter, commentator and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program.

• Liberal MP Anthony Housefather has – airquotes – “made his decision.” Housefather will be staying in caucus after much reflection on whether or not to stay in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal fold.
• The Rock says he regrets endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, saying the public pronouncement "caused an incredible amount of division.
• The Red Cross has stepped in to help one Montreal family of seven paying $1,800 dollars a month to live in some pretty disgusting conditions

Elias Makos closes out the week with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• Journal de Montreal went out to use the city’s fancy and expensive smart toilets and found most of them out of order
• Another day, another pre-budget announcement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This time, it’s a $1.5B rental protection fund 
• The use of French in public is stable - this according to the OQLF’s updated study on the subject

Elias Makos welcomes in Neil Drabkin, Immigration Lawyer, Political Commentator & former chief-of-staff to the Harper Government, and Bonnie Feigenbaum, Conservative Party of Quebec candidate in last provincial election and a lecturer at Concordia & McGill University.

• Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference is finally starting to make some headlines
• The Prime Minister pledged $15 billion for apartment construction loans yesterday
• Assault, people in crisis and harmful drug use in the metro system