Elias Makos welcomes in Beryl Wajsman, president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal, and Trudie Mason, veteran newscaster at CJAD 800.

• It was Eric Duhaime’s turn yesterday to reverse course on his stance on Bill 96. Duhaime told reporters yesterday that he would amend the Bill and continue to make use of the notwithstanding clause.
• The current state (or lack of state) of trade talks between Canada and the U.S. is becoming a bigger story every day as we approach key dates this summer. Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced his irritation to reporters on Thursday, pushing back on the nation that provincial booze bans were hurting negotiations.

Elias Makos is joined by Justine McIntyre, Co-Founder of Civica Strategies and former city councillor, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.

• Ottawa is accusing PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of spreading "conspiracy theories.” This after clips of Plamondon speaking at a town hall organized by CIJA – The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs – are gaining traction online.
• Québec Solidaire parliamentary leader Ruba Ghazal is demanding the Fréchette government to adopt a law to help prevent femicides and to increase the budget of shelters for women victims of domestic violence.
• Economist Pierre-Carl Michaud is ruffling feathers with a piece in L'actualité on some of the most sacred savings vehicles in Canada: the RRSP and the TFSA. He argues there’s no proof that these vehicles actually increase savings.
• The U.K has passed a bill that would ban children born after January 1st 2009, from buying cigarettes during their lifetime.

Elias Makos is joined by Graham Singh, CEO of Releven, and Political analyst Karim Boulos.

• After being confronted by a poll that showed him winning a majority government – but only if he ditched his promise of a referendum – Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is sticking to his convictions.
• Premier Christine Fréchette unveiled her cabinet yesterday. The cabinet has 29 ministers in total, 12 women and 17 men. Many who were in the last cabinet shuffle have kept their roles including Justice Minister Simon Jolin Barrette and Finance Minister Eric Girard.
• Turns out all Quebec needs to lower the ER occupancy in the province is the Habs making the playoffs.

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 Denis Coderre, former mayor of Montreal.

• The Parti Québécois would steamroll its way to a majority government – if they drop the pledge to hold a referendum. A new Leger poll for Journal de Montréal says the party would get 39% of the vote in that scenario.
• Christine Fréchette will reveal her cabinet today. On Tout le Monde en parle Sunday, the new premier said that her cabinet will be a mix of change and continuity.
• Canada Post posted a staggering $1.57 billion loss before tax in 2025 — its worst ever — with losses jumping nearly 87 per cent in just one year.
• The number of aggressive dogs has increased by 41 percent since 2021.

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.

• Quebec Liberal leader Charles Milliard has clarified his clarifications of his first clarification of his position on Bill 96. In a tweet this morning, Milliard says… a lot. He reaffirms his nationalist chops, says protecting French is at the heart of his political commitment, and calls French the social and cultural glue of Quebec.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s ties with the United States has now become a weakness. Carney released a pre-recorded address to Canadians yesterday where he mentioned the world has become more “dangerous and divided.”
• Buyers of a residence in Hudson are claiming $475,000 from the former occupants after they learned after moving in that an intruder died in a break-in gone wrong.

Elias Makos is joined by Quebec Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard, Akil Alleyne, Reporter and commentator with extensive experience analysing legal, political, and social issues and Manager of the GemStar Circle of Excellence Scholarship Program, and Lea Streliski, Best-selling author, comedian and columnist.

• Reaction to our interview with Charles Milliard, and his stance on the use of the notwithstanding clause? His position on Bill 96 caused him a lot of grief yesterday, with the Gazette reporting that “Milliard was forced to call a special crisis meeting” to manage his MNAs surprised by the new position.
• A new poll by the Montreal Economic Institute shows that 56 percent of Canadians want greater access to private healthcare.
• In an open letter in Le Devoir, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon invokes the words of former Quebec Premier Honoré Mercier and calls on nationalists in the province to stop tearing each other apart and come together.
• Before passing away in April of last year, actor Val Kilmer of Top Gun fame was supposed to take on a new role in the upcoming movie called “As Deep as the Grave”. After his death, the director of the movie did not want to change who played Kilmer’s role and has decided to rely on AI to keep him in the movie.

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 Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance.

• According to the latest poll by Pallas Data, the Liberals have gained 5 percentage points and now lead with 32 percent.
• Montreal says it wants more housing — and fast. But in the Old Port, a major project is now back to square one after running straight into local opposition.
• Canada’s Culture Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday that he was "very seriously" considering a ban on young people from using social media.
• In response to Quebec's new policy forcing public servants back to the office 3 days a week, over 650 public servants have decided to work less hours.

Elias Makos is joined by Andrew Caddell, columnist for the Hill Times and President of the Task Force on Linguistic policy, and Sue Smith is a Montreal journalist and broadcaster.

• Christine Frechette will be sworn in as Premier of Quebec today.
• Eric Duhaime has a message for Quebec’s new premier: Cut taxes.
• The Quebec Liberal Party has turned to a TikTok star in hopes of gaining a seat at the national assembly.
• There’s a piece in the Globe and Mail that is getting resoundingly mocked online. Titled “Reluctant to ‘rough it,’ retirees are trimming travel costs in other ways,” the article tells the story of retirees that are struggling with the higher costs of travel.
• The city of Montreal is about to host its largest sporting event since the 1976 Olympics when the road cycling championships come to town in September.