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. Host Akil Alleyne, is in for Elias Makos.

On today's Big 5: Jimmy Zoubris, Montreal businessman, longtime activist and former special advisor to Valerie Plante, and Daniel Tran, political analyst and former political advisor in economic development at Montreal City Hall.

• The Parti Quebecois is set to be sworn into the National Assembly on Thursday and PSPP will be naming his ministers on October 21st. Out of the 59 MNA elected, there is currently no representation in the Quebec City region.
• Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be in Michigan tomorrow to advocate for "tariff-free" free trade with business leaders and in the media.
• We are officially one week away from the referendum vote in Alberta. According to Abacus Data, 46 percent of rural areas of the province would vote to separate.
• If you are a criminal in Canada and are trying to find a way out of the country…turns out it's pretty easy.

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 & Chief Equity Officer at Women in Governance, and Meeker Guerrier, commentator at Noovo and RDS.

• US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra issued a stern warning to Canadian politicians over mid-term interference, directly targeting Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and MP Anthony Housefather.
• Statistics Canada data revealed a nearly seven percent spike in return trips from the United States, raising questions about the strength of Canada's ongoing consumer boycott.
• Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is fighting to keep his probationary driver's license after picking up major speeding tickets in his Audi RS Q8.

Joining Elias on today's Big 5 were Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800 & Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist.

Among the topics discussed

• Marwah Rizqy is going public with the tragic loss she and her husband Greg Kelly suffered recently. In a piece published in the Journal de Montréal titled La lettre à l’enfant que je n’aurai pas – or Letter to the child I will not have – the outgoing MNA opens up on losing her third child during pregnancy.
• In an attempt to gain popularity with the youth…Quebec Conservative leader Éric Duhaime decided to send a letter to over 46 thousand Quebecers between the ages of 18 and 22.
• Something we rarely cover on the Big Five – literary scandals. But this one hits close to home. Thélyson Orélien, a Haitian-born Quebec writer, was having quite the year. His debut novel, C’était ça ou mourir, went from a Quebec success to a literary sensation in France, earning international attention and major prize nominations.
• “AI-written speeches are taking over politics” – that’s the headline in the latest edition of The Economist catching a lot of attention.