The Big Five Podcast

Elias Makos is joined by Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies and Political analyst Karim Boulos on The Big 5. Two months after the federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney is enjoying strong support in Quebec, with nearly 60% approval and the Liberals leading at 44% in the polls. A new report from the Montreal Economic Institute warns that Canada’s proposed federal homebuilding agency, Build Canada Homes, could repeat the failures of New Zealand’s KiwiBuild program. Do we swear too much? The week began with an exasperated Donald Trump dropping an F-bomb.

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance 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 on The Big 5. The front page of Journal de Montréal says it all - Nothing is going right for François Legault. 50% of Quebecers want him to go away according to a new Leger poll. Once again this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney called Canada “the most European of non-European countries.” It’s a line that the PM has repeated before A new Statistics Canada report shows asking rents in Montreal have surged nearly 71% since 2019,

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 Jonathan Kalles, Vice President at McMillan Vantage, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Prime Minister Mark Carney is committing that Canada – along with other NATO allies – will invest five per cent of GDP on defence by 2035. Advocacy groups are sounding the alarm over Bill C-2, warning it could give police sweeping powers to access Canadians’ personal data without a warrant. A U.S. judge has ruled that an Artificial Intelligence company did not violate the copyright of authors when it used millions of books to train their AI.

Dan Delmar, in for Elias Makos, is joined by Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS and Gabriel Retta, a Montrealer active in politics and government service at all three levels for the last 20 years on The Big 5. Montreal is celebrating Fête Nationale today with a full day of festivities. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire yesterday between Israel and Iran. The Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) is calling for Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville to resign.  

Joining the discussion are Jimmy Zoubris, a special advisor to the Mayor of Montreal, and Justine McIntyre, a strategic consultant and former city councillor. They dive into the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran, analyzing Canada's diplomatic stance and the balance between military action and negotiations. The podcast also navigates the controversial decision to keep schools open during a heatwave, weighing health considerations against educational needs. Additionally, they celebrate Montreal's rising basketball talent and potential NBA prospects.

Sue Smith ends the week with Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies, 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 war between Israel and Iran intensifies, European ministers are meeting today with Iran’s foreign minister in Switzerland to propose renewed nuclear negotiations Canada’s Competition Bureau is calling for an end to Montreal-Trudeau Airport’s monopoly on international flights Montreal is still lagging behind other cities when it comes to simple, contactless payment for public transit

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.