The Big Five Podcast

CJAD 800
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Politics
  • Updated Daily

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

  1. 20m ago

    Canada and the E.U. get closer than ever, with or without Quebec. Plus: The dirtiest political trick of all time

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Caroline Codsi, Founder and Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian, and columnist. Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is officially boycotting the E.U.-Canada summit opening today in Montreal, choosing to send diplomat Pascal Paradis instead after Prime Minister Mark Carney denied his request to deliver an official speech. Negotiations at the summit have shifted as the term "associate membership" is dropped from the table, replaced by a softer diplomatic promise of "ever closer association" between Canada and the European bloc. A family doctor in Gatineau is speaking out against public servants, revealing that over 90 percent of recent requests for work-from-home medical certificates are medically unjustified and take away vital appointment slots from sick children. A political scheme has unraveled in Alaska, where a New York Times report exposes that Democratic operatives intentionally recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run for U.S. Senate to trigger voter confusion at the ballot box. Montreal Mayor Sorraya Martinez Ferrada is marking her one-year anniversary by walking back inflation-linked tax limits to fund critical infrastructure repairs, while openly teasing a potential future bid to bring the Olympics back to the city.

  2. 1d ago

    The European Union is nothing but trouble. Plus: The last time change ever.

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Karim Boulos, Political Analyst, and Meeker Guerrier, Commentator at Noovo and RDS. A premier-level crisis has erupted between Quebec and Ottawa ahead of the Canada-EU summit in Montreal, with Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accusing Prime Minister Mark Carney of refusing him a speaking slot and treating the province like a bystander. Donald Trump injected himself into Canadian politics by congratulating Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Truth Social and highlighting a headline calling the PQ victory a "blow to Mark Carney." Details of a historic Canada-EU partnership are emerging that EU officials describe as closer to membership than any deal ever done with a non-European country, though Germany and others are pushing back on the "associate membership" branding. The five finalists to represent Canada at Eurovision have been announced, featuring William Cloutier, Rêve, Josiane, Talk, and Tyler Shaw, sparking a public vote and intense debate over the project's $150-million price tag. Quebec may soon scrap seasonal time changes for good as reports indicate the PQ government plans to table a bill for permanent time, following the footsteps of multiple western provinces and territories.

  3. 2d ago

    Another day, another Quebec-Canada battle. Plus: The deteriorating state of Montreal’s homeless encampments.

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Paul Gott, lead singer of the Ripcordz and journalism professor at Concordia, and Akil Alleyne, reporter, commentator, and manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program. The federal government barred Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon from speaking or hosting events at this week's high-profile Canada-EU summit in Montreal, prompting accusations of political muzzling. The Parti Québécois is looking for legislative loopholes to bypass the Lieutenant-Governor for the National Assembly's opening address, but the opposition Liberals are resisting the move. Montreal is launching a census of semi-permanent wooden cabins and shantytowns springing up in local parks as the fire department issues demolition notices over severe winter safety hazards. A media investigation revealed that potholes repaired by a local social media vigilante are outlasting official city repairs, exposing glaring inefficiencies in municipal road maintenance.

  4. 3d ago

    The City of Montreal wants rent control. Plus: The biggest political blunder in Canadian history.

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist, and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Raphaël Melançon, political analyst for CTV Montreal and CJAD 800, and columnist for the Montreal Gazette. BC Premier David Eby suffered a historic political blunder after his snap election backfired, handing the BC Conservatives a massive wave of seats and cementing conservative rule across seven Canadian provinces. Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon flatly rejected Montreal City Council's demand for a universal rent registry and strict rent control, arguing that fixing the housing supply shortage is the only real solution. Correctional Service Canada suspended the parole of convicted murderer Jeffrey George Ewert and returned him to custody after his attendance in McGill University law classes sparked intense campus polarization. An undercover media investigation exposed a Chinese website using artificial intelligence to mail high-quality fake Quebec driver's licenses to buyers for just one hundred and twenty dollars.

  5. 6d ago

    Should every Quebecer get three weeks of vacation? Plus: How much cleaning should you do at an Airbnb?

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Dan Delmar, independent political analyst, media strategist, and co-founder of TNKR Media, and Victor Henriquez, public affairs and crisis management specialist at Public Strategy and Conseil. A petition demanding the resignation of Québec solidaire's Ruba Ghazal surpassed eighty-four thousand signatures after she brandished a keffiyeh during her National Assembly swearing-in ceremony. Éric Duhaime's newly minted Conservative caucus officially took their oaths at the National Assembly as the party prepares to court displaced CAQ voters. Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon directed his Labour Minister to advance an election promise mandating a third week of paid vacation for all Quebec workers. Prime Minister Mark Carney established a new strategic partnership with Turkey to boost trade to ten billion dollars, sparking a debate on balancing economic diplomacy with global human rights values. Airbnb announced a major policy overhaul restricting hosts from forcing guests to complete extensive cleaning checklists and checkout chores.

  6. 6d ago

    The Parti Québecois unveils its cabinet. Plus: Tens of thousands of Quebecers demand Ruba Ghazal’s resignation.

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Christopher Skeete, former CAQ minister, and Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy. The Parti Québecois unveils its cabinet: The Parti Québécois unveiled its cabinet ministers yesterday, maintaining the position of minister responsible for English-Speaking Quebecers under Justice Minister Marie-Claude Sarrazin. Tens of thousands demand Ruba Ghazal’s resignation: A petition calling for the resignation of Québec solidaire parliamentary leader Ruba Ghazal collected over 47,000 signatures in a day following her celebratory use of a keffiyeh at the National Assembly swearing-in ceremony. Final Alberta referendum results emerge: Finalized vote counts from the Alberta referendum reveal a split decision, as voters supported Premier Danielle Smith's immigration control initiatives but rejected all four questions seeking amendments to the Canadian constitution. US alleges midterm election interference: The U.S. government has accused Canadian politicians of foreign interference in the U.S. midterms, listing ten incidents with five involving Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. Federal AI translation tool glitches: Internal documents obtained by Radio-Canada reveal severe errors within the federal government's AI translation tool, GCtraduction, despite officials identifying systemic bugs prior to its deployment.

  7. Oct 21

    Does Mark Carney need to stand up to Quebec’s constitutional shenanigans? Plus: McGill grapples with a murderer’s campus ban.

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800, and Sue Smith, Montreal journalist and broadcaster. PQ cabinet unveiling and English-speaking minister question: The Parti Québécois will unveil its cabinet ministry this afternoon at 1:30 PM. While many leaked positions have been circulating since yesterday, the fate of the minister responsible for English-speaking Quebecers remains unknown. Speculation suggests Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon might take the reigns of the file himself, mirroring François Legault's move in 2018. Globe and Mail calls for constitutional defense against PQ: Under the headline “Memo to the PQ: The Constitution is not a menu,” the Globe and Mail editorial board argues that the Mark Carney Liberal government must stand up to Quebec’s constitutional provocations. The paper specifically targets the decision to refuse the mandatory oath to King Charles under Section 128, arguing Canada cannot permit the PQ to secede "in dribs and drabs." McGill Law facing crisis over convicted murderer on campus: McGill University is dealing with internal strife after news broke that convicted murderer Jeffrey George Ewert was studying law on campus and attending faculty events in August. While a student petition supports his presence as an example of rehabilitation, others cite safety concerns and parole board reprimands regarding his social media use to argue he should not be allowed back.

  8. Oct 20

    Alberta votes for Canada. Plus: How stubborn is Paul St-Pierre Plamondon?

    The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform. On today's Big 5: Jonathan Kalles, Senior Vice President at Vantage, a Government Relations and Strategic Communications Firm and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Anthony Koch, Former National Spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and current managing principal at AK Strategies. Alberta separation door shuts: Alberta voters overwhelmingly rejected separation with a 76% "remain" vote. However, early counts show a "yes" to most of Premier Danielle Smith's nine other constitutional and immigration questions. Prime Minister Mark Carney's "no to the nine" campaign fell short as Alberta leaned toward "yes to the rest," potentially opening a messy new door to Canadian constitutional reform. PQ's referendum obsession: A new Leger poll reveals the Parti Québécois's referendum obsession cost them a majority. The data shows that dropping the sovereignty talk would have boosted Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to 35% of the vote. Quebec Liberals skip King's oath: The Quebec Liberal Party made waves at their National Assembly swearing-in by skipping the traditional oath to the King. Nearly half of Charles Milliard's caucus chose to take their oaths in both English and French. Faint-hope clause ruling: A BC judge has struck down part of the Criminal Code blocking multiple murderers from using the "faint-hope clause." This decision has delayed sentencing for three men convicted in a brutal home-invasion double murder.

See All (200)

About

The Big Five is the quintessential Montreal podcast, and the best way to get caught up on the top stories impacting the city. Every weekday, host Elias Makos and a roster of Montreal thought leaders debate and inform.

Information

You Might Also Like