The Big Five Podcast

Sue Smith is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A three year old missing toddler  was found alive after three days alone near Highway 417 in Ontario, following a massive search The Liberal government’s Building Canada Act (Bill C-5), spearheaded by Prime Minister Mark Carney, is drawing sharp criticism for granting cabinet sweeping powers to fast-track major industrial projects Montreal’s STM is reinstating its anti-loitering policy across eight metro stations until April 2026

Join Dan Delmar, co-founder of TNKR Media and co-host of Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Neil Drabkin, a former federal prosecutor and political commentator. They discuss Mark Carney's praised handling of challenges at the G7, including international relations and trade implications. The duo also examines the rise of the Quebec Liberal Party under new leader Pablo Rodriguez, amidst existing concerns over major service disruptions due to a transit strike and Canadians' anxieties about retirement readiness.

Sue Smith welcomes back Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS, and Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor. At the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, U.S. President Donald Trump left early to address escalating tensions between Israel and Iran Should Russia be at the G7? Santé Québec has awarded over $310 million in no-bid contracts to Microsoft to manage its data

Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Paul Gott, lead guitarist of the punk rock band The Rip Chords and a journalism professor, dive into the political landscape of Quebec. They discuss Pablo Rodriguez's election as the new leader of the Quebec Liberal Party and his efforts to regain voter trust. The conversation shifts to the G7 Summit, where Prime Minister Carney is set to meet Donald Trump, exploring the critical issues at play, including trade negotiations amid local challenges like the STM strike affecting public transport during the Grand Prix weekend.

Sue Smith caps off the week with Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK 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. Israel has launched a large-scale airstrike on Iran, targeting nuclear and military sites The G7 summit kicks off this weekend in Kananaskis, Alberta, with world leaders facing massive global challenges The Quebec Liberal Party will choose its new leader this Saturday

Sue Smith is joined by Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Gabriel Retta, is a Montrealer who has been active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Michael Sabia, the current president of Hydro-Québec and a seasoned business and public sector leader, as Canada’s next Clerk of the Privy Council In preparation for the influx of tourists during the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the City of Montreal launched a last-minute beautification blitz to hide unsightly construction zones Quebec has officially designated today June 12th as the province’s first-ever Buy Local Day

Suse Smith welcomes back Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada, and Political analyst Karim Boulos. A scathing new report by Auditor General Karen Hogan reveals widespread mismanagement in federal contracts awarded to GCStrategies Quebec’s proposed Bill 106, which ties 12% of family doctors’ pay to performance indicators As Montreal’s public transit strike enters its third day, negotiations between the STM and its 2,400 maintenance workers are set to resume today

Sue Smith is joined by Akil Alleyne, (Alean) Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. The SPVM’s latest annual report shows that Montreal police response times for the most urgent calls have increased by nearly a minute over the past decade Quebec, Montreal, and local partners are investing over $3.5 million to boost social intervention services in the Place des Arts area Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced $9.3 billion in new military spending, allowing Canada to reach NATO’s 2% GDP defense target this year The Canadian Competition Bureau is taking legal action against DoorDash, accusing the company of misleading customers by inflating advertised prices through hidden mandatory fees

Sue Smith kicks off the week with Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. On Sunday, 2,000 National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the “One Canadian Economy” bill Montreal's STM maintenance workers are set to strike from June 9-17, disrupting transit service across the city

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, and Andrew Caddell, a town councillor in Kamouraska, and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. The once-close alliance/bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk dramatically collapsed this week in a public social media feud Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump have been in touch since their Oval Office meeting last month, holding direct talks in recent weeks amid the ongoing trade war between the two countries Towns in northern New York are offering special deals to lure back Canadian tourists, especially Quebecers, amid a steep drop in cross-border travel. Quebec plans to cut its annual permanent immigration targets to as low as 25,000 people, down from around 64,000, unless Ottawa agrees to halve the number of temporary residents in the province A Canadian man with past ties to Osama bin Laden and a terrorism conviction in the US has been arrested in Montreal after allegedly threatening to kill “a large number of people