The Big Five Podcast

In an exclusive English language interview, CJAD 800's Elias Makos is joined by Quebec Premier, Christine Fréchette. The Premier discusses a potential English language debate ahead of an election, the CAQ's relationship with Quebec's English community, migrating the province's health care system to a digital era, the word 'nosh' being in the crosshairs of the OQLF, recent reports of discriminatory and racist acts in the SPVM and more.

You can also watch the full interview here.

Trudie Mason ends the week with Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall.

• Opposition at the National Assembly are accusing Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette of going on a “witch hunt” in order to silence government sources. 
• Today is the final day of the parliamentary session at the National Assembly and the CAQ will be trying to pass as many bills as possible.
• Turns out it takes 1000 hours of training before someone should be allowed to use a chainsaw. That is according to new guidelines inside Bill 101 that were imposed this week. 
• Canada’s former chief of defence staff is warning the population that booing the U.S national anthem during hockey games could burn bridges between the two countries.
• Today is the second edition of "I buy a Quebec product" day.

Trudie Mason welcomes in Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance.

• U.S President Donald Trump says he does not want to renew the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
• The OQLF is asking a pair of restaurant owners to remove the words “nosh” and "nachos".
• The city of Montreal is replacing its general manager, but not without giving him a hefty amount of money on his way out. 
• Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says that based on the data he’s seen to date, Canada’s economy is weak, but “it is not clearly in recession.” 

Trudie Mason is joined by Jonathan Kalles, Senior Vice President at Vantage, a Government Relations and Strategic Communications Firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• New provincial polling this morning from Synopsis and Lapresse show the Quebec Liberal Party falling while the CAQ tries to make a comeback.
• The energy drinks ban saga continued yesterday at the National Assembly after two independent MNA’s have voiced their plan to block the fast tracking of the bill until certain criteria is met.
• Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is back in the news this morning and not for the reasons that you think. He is under fire for a photo he took with his current girlfriend, pop superstar Katy Perry. 
• Ontario Premier Doug Ford finished his tour of Washington D.C yesterday.

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 Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• The federal government is set to table a bill banning social media for those under the age of 16. 
• A new survey commissioned by the Brotherhood of Montreal Police Officers shows 70 percent of respondents want a municipal bylaw against verbal insults against peace officers.
• The Parti Quebecois is promising to remove Quebec from the federal government's High Speed Rail project if elected.

Trudie Mason starts the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy.

• The Quebec Liberal Party held its final general council meeting this weekend before the fall elections. 
• Hundreds of weapons have been seized by police in Quebec schools in recent years. 
• Former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour is set to become Canada’s 31st governor general this morning.

Elias Makos 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 Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia.

• The government wants to fast-track a bill that would ban energy drinks for people under the age of 16. There is just one problem. The Quebec Conservative party is planning to block it.
• The commissioner of Major League Soccer was in town yesterday, making a push for the Quebec government to finish what they started and fully renovate the interior of Olympic Stadium.
• After a photo of an STM map on the 747 bus that spelled Bishop Street as “BEESHOP,” the chairman of the STM says the signs will soon be fixed. 
• Is it the beginning of a violent summer in Montreal? Three men were killed in less than two days in Montreal and Laval.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of  Civica Strategies and former city councillor.

• Under the headline ‘‘He yells: Mark Carney’s focus has Liberal MPs bristling,” Althia Raj tells readers of the most Liberal-leaning paper in the nation that the Prime Minister is not a nice man.
• Quebec's proposed constitution is turning into a political food fight at the National Assembly.
• A Tunisian man has been given a conditional discharge and three years probation for violently assaulting a woman.
• Loto-Québec will soon allow customers to purchase lottery tickets directly through the interface of self-service checkouts. 

Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette.

• The Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney have hit a milestone not seen in more than 20 years. A new Postmedia-Leger poll puts Liberal support at 50 per cent among decided voters — a level of backing no governing federal party has reached in decades.
• Premier Christine Fréchette has a busy day in front of her today. This morning she is meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.
• In response to the provincial government's recent announcement to ditch the QST on certain grocery products, Restaurants Canada is offering a bold idea. The organization wants the government to remove taxes from the bill of customers who sit down in dining rooms or take out an order.
• For years, police departments in Montreal and across Canada worked to reassure immigrants that contact with police wouldn't automatically put their immigration status under scrutiny. But new data suggests that may be changing.

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil.

• Premier Christine Fréchette is signalling a softer approach after years of tension between the CAQ government and English-speaking Quebecers.
• A directive from the French Language Ministry is raising eyebrows in the municipal world. Since Monday, municipal employees have to check that a company is complying with Bill 101 before any purchase.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney is condemning what he describes as a rise in antisemitism and hate in Canada.
• Nine out of ten Canadians say our health system needs to change.