The Big Five Podcast

Jay Farrar, in for Elias Makos, is joined by Paul Gott, lead singer and guitarist for Montreal punk rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia and Justine McIntyre, strategic consultant and former city councillor on The Big 5. The Quebec Liberal Party has announced that a new leader will be crowned on March 14th next year. If you thought waiting at the hospital was long, imagine waiting on the phone for around two hours to talk to someone. That is what Santé Quebec is reporting regarding the average wait time to reach Info-Santé (811). A new Leger poll says only 35 percent of people believe that 2026 will be better than 2025.

Robyn Flynn, sitting in for Elias Makos, is joined by Dan Delmar, co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada and Sterling Downey, city councillor for the Desmarchais-Crawford district in Verdun on The Big 5. A segment that was dropped from the CBS investigative show “60 minutes” mysteriously showed up on Monday under the the branding of Canadian broadcaster. Mark Carney has named former Black Rock exec Mark Wiseman as Canada’s new ambassador. In a preview into what could happen after next year’s provincial election in Quebec, Alberta’s election agency has approved a proposed referendum question on the province separating from Canada.

Robyn Flynn, sitting in for Elias Makos, is joined by 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 on The Big 5. Federal conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says he is ready to collaborate with his federal colleagues in the No camp if a referendum were to be held. The city of Montreal will be putting back some of the parking spots back in the Ville-Marie Borough. A new study out of Cornell University says AI chatbots can successfully convince people to change their votes.

Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, 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. Christian Dubé has resigned from his position as Quebec’s Minister of Health and will sit as an independent MNA. In his year-end interviews, François Legault says that once Quebecers realize the PQ is dead serious about a referendum, their lead in the polls will evaporate. Is he right? Quebecers bought less alcohol, but paid more for it this year. How would you recap 2025?

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. With Pablo Rodriguez out as leader, rumours are already swirling surrounding who will replace him. Three thousand dollars worth of food was stolen from a Metro grocery store on Monday in the Plateau. A group called Robins des ruelles says they are the ones responsible for the theft and posted an image of some of the stolen goods underneath a Christmas Tree in Parc Valois. Montreal is making it easier to live in tents along Notre-Dame Street. According to La Presse, the city will install trailers in the area starting early next year, allowing homeless people living in tents to keep warm and access basic amenities. Hockey Canada and Curling Canada say they have no plans to follow Skate Canada’s lead when it comes to future events in Alberta.

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez steps down Canada’s national figure skating body is blacklisting Alberta — saying the province is off-limits for major competitions because of its new law on transgender athletes. Laval wants to abandon its municipal policy on public art.

On this Tuesday edition of the BIG 5, Elias is joined by 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 Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Another morning, another very bad Journal de Montreal front page for Pablo Rodriguez. The paper reports on a fundraiser held for Rodriguez in April, where up to 20 people received envelopes of $500 cash in exchange for their campaign contributions. The Bondi Beach attack has many Jewish Canadians questioning their safety here in Canada. Many are pointing out the parallels between Australia and Canada when it comes to antisemitic events of the last few years. Let’s head to Ontario, where the Ford government is pitching a big new vision for Niagara Falls — one it’s calling the “Vegas of the North.”

Elias Makos starts off the week with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed in a shooting targeting the country's Jewish community at a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach over the weekend. In response, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has asked police to increase security after the attack, and the SPVM say they will remain on heightened alert. A group of language experts says the federal government is sending the wrong signal by slipping into British spelling in official documents — including the 2025 budget. In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, they argue that if Canada wants to project confidence and identity, it should start by using its own English on the page. Snow removal operations for the first big snow dump of the year are wrapping up, and one thing has become clear under the new administration: Bike paths are not the priority anymore. The city going so far as to ask cyclists to abandon their bikes and take public transit.

Elias Makos caps off the week with Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Information is being released about what is in the agreement in principle between the province’s family doctors and the Quebec government. A dozen former Liberal MNA’s and ministers are calling for the resignation of Pablo Rodriguez from the Quebec Liberal Party. Conservative MP Michael Ma, who represents the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville, has crossed the floor to the Liberal Party. The Quebec government has officially adopted their bill to impose minimum French-language content quotas on major digital platforms such as Netflix and Spotify.

Elias Makos welcomes back Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. The breaking news this morning - a tentative deal between Quebec’s GPs and the government. Are breathing a sigh of relief? Quebec’s anti-corruption squad, UPAC, has announced that it will open a criminal investigation into the Quebec Liberal Party. Radio-Canada reports that the campaign headquarters for Rodriguez’ leadership run were in an office belonging to his wife. Residents in the Milton-Parc area want a homeless shelter removed from the area. The federal government’s new anti-hate speech law is making its way through parliamentary committees

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., is stepping down in the new year as the country’s top diplomat in Washington. Two years after the government put a ban on flavoured vaping products, sales on the black market have flourished. Millions of children and teens have lost access to their accounts as Australia’s world-first social media ban has taken effect. Egypt’s football association says it wants no part of FIFA’s Pride World Cup match.

Elias Makos is joined by Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Steven Guilbault has decided to air his frustrations with Prime Minister Mark Carney this morning in an opinion piece in La Presse. Micheal Stern, The newly-elected mayor of Westmount has apologized after being caught on a hot mic. Robert Libman wrote an op-ed in the Gazette on the Quebec Liberals that puts it bluntly: “Fair or not, Rodriguez must step down.”

Elias Makos welcomes back Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. It's CJAD’s 80th anniversary today. What does CJAD mean to you? A surreal Friday in Washington D.C. as the world’s attention was on the FIFA World Cup Draw. Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney held a 45-minute private meeting along with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum following the draw. In a time where the province is seeing a lot of red in its finances, Premier François Legault presented his economic vision a month ago to reporters. One problem, it cost him $55 thousand to do it. That includes a nearly 15 hundred dollar Quebec Flag.

Elias Makos ends the week off 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 Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Some are banking hopes on an encounter between Prime Minister Carney and President Trump on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup draw in Washington today. A new chapter has been added to the Quebec Liberal Party crisis. The Liberal MNA for Chomedey Sona Lahkoyan Olivier has been expelled from the caucus by Pablo Rodriguez. As the polls continue to trend towards a win for the Parti Quebecois in the next provincial election, the federal government is starting to plan for a referendum vote.

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Quebec will ban brownies – not the ones you bake, but the ones you give to buy leadership votes. Tired of a large number of students entering their stores, hurling insults, creating havoc, and stealing things, groceries and corner stores are fighting back. Quebec’s Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says the government plans to insert the right to abortion in the CAQ’s proposed Quebec constitution — Bill 1. The Canadian government is being pulled into a heated debate over whether Ontario-made armoured vehicles should be shipped to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Elias Makos welcomes back Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Quebec Liberal Party leader Pablo Rodriguez has expelled Marwah Rizqy from the party. Just one day after being named to the post, Marc Miller, who is now in charge of official languages, told reporters he was “fed up” with the debate over language in Quebec. The CAQ government is tackling high resale ticket prices. Bill 10 regulates ticket reselling and automatic subscription renewals. Police in Brantford, Ontario say they received multiple calls about a residence showing anti-Santa Claus signage during the city’s Santa Claus parade.

Elias Makos is joined by Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Marc Miller has been brought into cabinet as a new Minister following Stephen Guilbeault's resignation. The RCMP is quietly grounding most of its drone fleet — not because they’re old, but because they’re Chinese. There is yet another bad story for the Liberal Party of Quebec in the Journal de Montreal this morning. New York has become the first state to pass a law targeting "personalized pricing,"

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante & political analyst Karim Boulos. Among the topics discussed were 'No referendum. No corruption' – that’s the promise of a new print and social media ad campaign that the Quebec Conservative Party will start running this week With the help of Artificial Intelligence, the SPVM is watching you in real time The Liberals have struck a deal with the Bloc Québécois that would strip out a long-standing religious exemption According to documents gathered by La Presse, Ottawa wants to end remote work once and for all for its government workers, by the year 2027

Elias makos ends the week off with Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday. The agreement between Carney and Smith did come at a cost for the Prime Minister as Steven Guilbault resigned from his ministerial duties over the deal. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette is defending the government’s Quebec Constitution bill. Candidates for the NDP leadership “debated” in “French” last night.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 this morning were Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance & Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist. Among the topics discussed A Quebec judge has sparked controversy by allowing a man accused of criminal harassment in a domestic-violence case to remove his anti-proximity bracelet so he can spend the winter in Florida — despite allegations he’d already breached his release conditions Transit related violent crime across the country is on the rise in the past decade Prime Minister Mark Carney proclaimed over the weekend that Canada no longer has a foreign feminist policy Just in time for the holidays, Loto-Quebec has begun its first-ever collaboration with the wholesale giant, selling “$1,000 en folie” tickets

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. Quebec will cut the subsidy of religious schools who select children according to their faith. Moreover, the wearing of religious symbols will also be prohibited for future teachers and employees of private schools. The Quebec government provided its economic update yesterday and some relief is on its way. A Quebec judge has sparked controversy by allowing a man accused of criminal harassment in a domestic-violence case to remove his anti-proximity bracelet so he can spend the winter in Florida — despite allegations he’d already breached his release conditions. The announcement by McGill to cut 25 varsity programs has caused many in the sporting world to denounce the move.

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 Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. A new secularism bill will be tabled on Thursday at the National Assembly. Maybe Mark Carney cares afterall. Less than 48 hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed a question about when he had last spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump with a flippant “Who cares?”, a federal government source has confirmed to CTV News that he is considering a trip to Washington next week. La Presse has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. Elon Musk says that work will become optional, and that this version of the future could be just 10-20 years away.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, former 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. Prime Minister Mark Carney is seemingly in no hurry to pick up trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S Vice-President JD Vance took to social media Friday to call out Canada’s political leadership and “immigration insanity,” blaming them for the stagnation of Canada’s economy. Marwah Rizqy gave her first comments since the beginning of the conflict between her and the Quebec Liberal Party. Just when you thought Quebec politics couldn't get zanier, Quebec Solidaire decided it wanted to get in on the fun.

Elias Makos caps off the week with political analyst Karim Boulos, and Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada will meet with Premier François Legault today. What should they talk about? Outremont is removing a bike lane for the winter. After not answering a formal notice to offer an explanation to why she fired her chief of staff, the saga between Marwah Rizqy and Genevieve Hinse could be heading to court. Turns out that voters in the Quebec Liberal leadership race being allegedly paid off with $100 bills may not be illegal. Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street West has been ranked fifth on Time Out magazine’s 2025 list of the world’s coolest streets.

Elias Makos is joined by Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church, and Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. The former chief of staff for Marwah Rizqy, Genevieve Hinse, has filed a formal notice against her former boss. Which demographic groups of young people have been particularly hard hit by the smartphone and social media era we live in?

Elias Makos brings you an extended edition of the Big 5 with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies. Marwah Rizqy has been suspended from the Quebec Liberal Party caucus by leader Pablo Rodriguez. Things are not getting better for the Quebec Liberal Party leader this morning. The Journal de Montreal’s Investigation bureau is alleging that Rodriguez's leadership race win may have come in part through “brownies” – campaign jargon for $100 bills. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada unveiled her executive committee yesterday. At least three Quebec nurses brought in spectacular salaries of over $450,000 last year, thanks to a ton of overtime hours and generous bonuses. The Ontario government is exploring the idea of making impaired drivers pay ongoing child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian.

Elias Makos is joined by Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, and Sue Smith, a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. After a smooth launch of the Deux-Montages branch over the weekend and into the work week, parts of the REM network are down after a truck struck a viaduct near the Bois-Franc station. Is the REM cursed? Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government narrowly survived its third confidence vote in as many weeks last night. After Ontario and New Brunswick, it’s reportedly Manitoba’s turn to try and poach Quebec doctors out of the province. Speaking of doctors, they had a good time sharing a photo of Health Minister Christian Dubé taking a flight to Florida just before the weekend. A new study out of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytical Sciences Laboratory says Quebecers still do not understand the “best before” labeling on food.

Elias Makos starts the week off with Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Jimmy Zoubris, former special advisor to the mayor of Montreal. The federal government is bracing for a razor-thin confidence vote on the budget Monday, with Liberals scrambling behind the scenes to lock down enough opposition support to avoid triggering an election. The Parti Québecois is proposing to give the province its own currency if it were independent. It's weekday launch day for the new REM line in Deux-Montagnes. So far there have been no issues with the new line this weekend or this morning. That being said, REM employees staged a small protest on Saturday against their working conditions.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. and Alain Vaillancourt, Former Montreal City Councillor and Executive committee member. Among the subjects discussed were Soraya Martinez Ferrada was officially sworn in as Montreal mayor last night. What’s her first challenge? Three critical mineral extraction projects, a nickel mine in Ontario and a transmission line on the northern B.C. coast are among the new initiatives added to the growing list of projects referred to the Major Projects Office. Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is reiterating his threat to cut social assistance for asylum seekers. A Quebec man says he can only place 93-cent bets in Loto-Québec’s sports betting app because he was winning too much money.

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. Is Mark Carney’s honeymoon with voters coming to an end? Quebecers are seemingly not impressed with Mark Carney’s first budget. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spoke to reporters yesterday for the first time since two MPs announced they were leaving his caucus. As it stands right now, there will be no bus or metro service this weekend. Doctors leaving for Ontario may not be getting the better lifestyle that was promised to them.

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom. Premier François Legault’s support continues to tumble. New numbers released by Léger this morning show that 71 per cent of Quebecers are unsatisfied with the Premier. An architecture firm is proposing a new project for the Metropolitan Expressway. Lemay is proposing to add a level to the expressway in order to develop urban gardens, and acoustic screens. STM service is gradually resuming today after the public transit body’s maintenance union halted their strike. There’s no deal, but there is hope that negotiations can start back up. Who gets the credit for this development? Apple has released a $320 sock to carry your iPhone.

Elias Makos is joined by Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Trudie Mason Veteran newscaster here at CJAD 800. Does Canada need some sort of mandatory national service, be it military or otherwise? The Quebec government says it has no plans of backtracking from Bill 2 after the mass protest by the province’s doctors at the Bell Centre over the weekend. Premier François Legault presented his economic vision yesterday.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Lionel Perez, Former city councilor and leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. More than 12 thousand doctors packed into the Bell Centre to denounce the Quebec government’s law overhauling physicians’ work and pay structures. As we enter the second week of a month-long maintenance worker strike at the STM, the Journal de Montreal’s investigation bureau decided to take a closer look at the STM’s current collective bargaining agreement. Months after being suspended from baseball, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges of taking bribes from sports bettors.

Joining Elias on The Big 5 this morning were Sue Smith, Montreal journalist and broadcaster and Alain Vaillancourt, out-going Borough Councillor in the Sud-Ouest borough. Among the topics discussed were Would you take the bus or metro more often if it were free? Tesla shareholders have signed off on a massive pay package for Elon Musk Another Conservative MP has decided to resign from caucus… eventually

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has given a 10 day ultimatum for the STM and its maintenance workers to strike a deal There has been a record amount of complaints filed this year against STM bus drivers for being on their cellphones while driving Netflix and YouTube are not happy with the proposed Quebec law that would set their apps to French by default

Elias Makos welcomes back Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Anne Lagace-Dowson, political analyst. It was hyped as a “generational budget,” but did it live up to that hype? Prime Minister Mark Carney tabled his first ever budget yesterday. The budget cuts the luxury tax on yachts and private jets and boosts funding to the CBC while giving them a super-specific new goal: bringing Canada into the Eurovision contest. Is this what Canadians were asking for? The federal liberals are now one step closer to a majority while the federal Conservative are screaming treason towards a former party MP that has crossed the floor. The city of New York has a new mayor. NFL football legend Tom Brady says his new dog Junie is a clone. Would you you do the same?

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. It is budget day for the Carney government, but could it also be the start of another federal election? Not even 24 hours after being elected the new mayor of Montreal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada may already be breaking one of her promises. The Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew stirred up controversy yesterday after saying that child pornography offenders shouldn’t just be jailed, but buried underneath prisons. You soon could be eating cloned animal meat without even noticing.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. Soraya Martinez Ferrada is the new mayor of Montreal, defeating Projet Montreal’s Luc Rabouin by around eight percent at last count. Martinez Ferrada set herself some lofty goals during the campaign, including priorities for the first 100 days. What should she get done first as she attempts to quickly transform the city? The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography is unconstitutional.

Joining Elias in studio for The Big 5 were Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom Some Quebec doctors have taken up the offer to call the Premier of Ontario Doug Ford and apply to move to Ontario to continue practicing medicine. Quebec’s labour tribunal has authorized bus drivers and metro operators with Montreal’s transit agency to hold a one-day strike on Saturday, with no essential services other than paratransit With three days away before the election, a new poll from Pallas Data has Soraya Martinez Ferrada of Ensemble Montreal 15 points ahead of their next closest rival

Elias Makos welcomes back Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. Quebec Premier François Legault is hopping mad with his Ontario counterpart, Doug Ford. With many doctors in Quebec up in arms over Bill 2 and how it will change the way they work and are paid, Ford took the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for Quebec’s doctors Today marks the 30th anniversary of the 1995 referendum. We came close to losing this country - but in the end, the No camp won the referendum with 50.58% of the vote compared to 49.42% for the Yes side. What do you remember most of that time? A sign that we’re headed towards an election? The parties are courting women voters. Despite all indications being there will be a massive cutback in spending in next week’s federal budget, the government announced new money to support women

Elias Makos is joined by Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church, and Trudie Mason, veteran Newscaster here at CJAD 800. There is a spike in the amount of doctors leaving the province for New Brunswick. Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dube wrote an opinion letter in the Journal this morning defending the new legislation towards doctors. The province’s food banks say they handled nearly 3.1 million requests for help in March 2025 according to the 2025 Hunger Report released Monday. Ahead of next month’s global climate summit in Brazil, COP30, Bill Gates has dropped a new memo that rattles the consensus of the climate movement.

Joining Elias on today's Big 5 were Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program & Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. Among the topics discussed by Andrew and Akil, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Prime Minister Mark Carney saw the controversial TV ad that pushed Donald Trump to walk away from trade talks and threaten new tariffs against Canada A month after saying he might leave Quebec, businessman Andrew Lutfy has returned to the fray with his criticism of the François Legault government The Alberta government will use the notwithstanding clause to force striking teachers back to work

Elias Makos kicks off the week with Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa and Washington were "close to an agreement" before Donald Trump ended negotiations on Thursday. The Quebec government adopted special legislation in the early hours Saturday to force a new remuneration system on doctors. After telling voters they were a party that had “no slogans, only solutions,” Projet Montréal changed its tune over the weekend, with party leader Luc Rabouin telling reporters on Sunday that he would be the "mayor of 514, not 450."

Joining Elias on The Big 5 were Sue Smith, Montreal journalist and broadcaster andChristina Chough, Spanish teacher and Chair of the modern languages department at Dawson College. U.S. President Donald Trump says he is terminating trade negotiations with Canada following new anti-tariff ads from the Ontario government that features the voice of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan Internal documents obtained by the New York Times this week reveal that Amazon plans to replace – or rather, avoid hiring – more than half a million U.S. workers by the end of the decade… by letting robots do the work instead In the first nine months of this year alone, food safety inspectors issued $150,000 in fines to Quebec grocery stores, bakeries and butcher shops

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. Was it a pre-budget speech, or a pre-election stump speech? Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed Canadians last night ahead of the upcoming budget. Transition Montreal leader Craig Sauvé is standing up for one of his candidates despite extreme, violent, rhetoric posted online. Michel Leblanc, the former head of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, says he is supporting Soraya Martinez Ferrada to win the Montreal municipal election. 36 percent of this year’s municipal election candidates in Quebec are women. While it's a slight increase compared to 2021, big cities like Laval, Montreal and Quebec cities saw a decrease this election period.

Elias Makos is joined by Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, columnist for the Montreal Gazette, and president and founder of Trafalgar Strategies, and Neil Drabkin, is a lawyer who served as federal prosecutor and a political commentator who was a chief of staff in the Harper government.

Elias Makos is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. So, do we all have Blue Jays fever? And your predictions for the big Dodgers vs. Blue Jays World Series? The Federal housing minister is once again proposing magical thinking to solve the housing crisis. The federal government is introducing a new tracking system in order to make sure that federal workers are meeting the three day in office mandate.

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Trudie Mason, veteran Newscaster here at CJAD 800, 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. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the 1995 referendum, a new poll from Leger says close to two thirds of the population do not want Quebec to be independent. Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of Justin Trudeau's big win. How’s the last decade gone for Canada? Are Trudeau’s Sunny Ways a distant memory? Former Stephen Harper aide and political commentator Dimitirs Soudas dropped a bomb on Pierre Poilievre saying Poilievre is actively dismantling the “principled and trustworthy” Conservative party that was built under Harper’s leadership.

Elias Makos is ends the week that was with Political analyst Karim Boulos, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Yesterday was our big municipal debate on CJAD800 between Projet Montreal Leader Luc Rabouin and Ensemble Montreal leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada. What did you think of the debate? Who won? Who lost? It seems like Projet Montreal has one more card to play - and it’s Valerie Plante. Prime Minister Mark Carney says new bail reform aimed at cracking down on violent and repeat offenders will be tabled next week. The Canada Border Services Agency found four undocumented workers after searching the construction site for Calgary’s new event centre.

Elias Makos welcomes in Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Daniel Tran, Director of Communication and governmental relations at Casacom. CJAD 800 and The Elias Makos Show is hosting a live Montreal mayoral debate today, the timing for this debate couldn't be more perfect, as the campaigns got nasty yesterday. Merchants in the Chabanel & Garment Districts say they weren’t properly consulted on the bike lanes added to the area Quebec will allow patients who have been waiting for surgery for more than a year to turn to the private sector.

Elias Makos is joined by Victor Henriquez, Public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil, and Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church.