The Big Five Podcast

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance. A framework deal over the future of the Arctic has been agreed upon between U.S President Donald Trump and NATO.  Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Canadians to boycott Chinese-made vehicles in the wake of a federal trade deal that will allow them into the country. Canada has quietly hit the reset button on TikTok — and the timing is raising eyebrows.  The federal government has drawn up a plan to ban social media for children under the age of 14. 

Elias Makos welcomes back Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  Mark Carney was reunited with his people yesterday, and it showed. A confident Canadian Prime Minister delivered a speech in front of the faithful assembled at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mark Carney has left Davos and Donald Trump has arrived, and we track his speech in real time We are getting an update on what the plans could be for the high-speed rail between Toronto and Quebec City. 

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 Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. The Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian Armed Forces have quietly run a hypothetical scenario most people would never expect — a U.S. military invasion of Canada, and how this country might respond. What do you think of Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace?" Today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada won’t pay the reported one-billion-dollar U.S. entry fee to take part in the organization. Op-Ed in La Presse from the heads of Oxfam-Quebec and the non-profit Patriotic Millionaires Canada says that this country needs to tax the ultra-rich more.  The Federal Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the use of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy four years ago was unreasonable. 

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster. Canada is weighing a plan to send a small contingent of troops to Greenland for military exercises with NATO allies Mark Carney took a trip to Qatar this weekend and announced that the Middle Eastern country has committed to “significant strategic investments” for Canada’s major building projects. A new federal poll from Abacus Data has the Liberals and Conservatives tied at 40 percent if an election were held today.  The Catholic Church in the Saint-Marie neighbourhood has filed a lawsuit against the City of Montreal, saying the city won’t allow it to demolish a church that’s turned into a safety hazard. 

Joining Elias on The Big Five were Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Among the topics discussed were The Liberal government has reached a deal with China allowing 49 thousands chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market Two potential candidates in the CAQrace are already receiving backing from several people. Energy and Economy Minister Christine Fréchette has received support from Cybersecurity and Digital Technology Minister Gilles Bélanger There have been three femicides in Quebec since the start of the year - and recent developments in two of the cases are getting attention

Caroline Codsi, a champion for gender parity and governance reforms, teams up with Lea Streliski, a bestselling author and comedian, to dissect the political landscape of Quebec. They reflect on François Legault's tenure, weighing his initial pandemic leadership against diminishing public services and confrontational politics. The duo also explores the potential successors for Legault in the CAQ and discusses Canada’s evolving relationship with China. Finally, they debate the implications of the SAQ's new home delivery service for alcohol, considering public health concerns.

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 Trudie Mason, veteran Newscaster here at CJAD 800. U.S. President Donald Trump visited a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan on Tuesday, and dismissed the relevance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, saying the U.S. doesn’t need the trade deal and that “Canada would love it.”  A new Leger poll says nearly one in three Canadians are afraid that the U.S will invade Canada. As per an Op-Ed in the Toronto Star, are the Canadians that continue to move their start-up companies to the U.S., or go to school in the U.S., or vacation in the U.S. bordering on treason? As Mark Carney lands in China, state media in that country is urging Canada to break free from “U.S. influence.” Mario Roy is adamant: He is running for the Quebec Liberal Party leadership

Joining Elias on The Big Five were Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS & Graham Singh, Pastor at St-Jax Church. Among the subjects discussed on The Big Five were Inaccurate headline alert: “Canadians feel that crime is worse than five years ago, despite decline in major cities.” The city of Montreal unveiled this year’s budget yesterday Mark Carney and his delegation are off to China, the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister in more than eight years A hockey brawl involving kids under 8 years old during the intermission of an AHL game this weekend is being investigated in the U.S.  McDonald’s is “freezing” the price of a small coffee and its McValue meals as more and more customers balk at the high price of fast food. 

Elias Makos welcomes in Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. “Montreal’s Olympic Stadium started 2026 the same way it began the 1976 Games: under construction and without a roof.” Despite Montreal’s size and appetite for the FIFA World Cup, we will be sitting on the sidelines The Quebec Liberal Party leadership race kicks off today New evidence suggests that political pressure is cratering overdose deaths.

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 & Lionel Perez, Former city councillor and former leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall Among the topics discussed were Montreal’s police chief, Fady Dagher, says the mental health and homelessness situation in the city is getting worse The province’s largest health care facilities have spent over $50 million on security guards last year An Ontario court has ruled that a city’s municipal bylaw on lawns violates a citizen’s Charter right to Freedom of Expression