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Gab and Isaac dive into one of the most important weeks in Canada since the 1980s. The results of this week's Supreme court case could change the future of the country, and of human rights in the country.

In front of the Supreme Court, they are deliberating on whether or not Bill 21 can carry through. Bill 21 is a Quebec bill that disallows people to wear "religious symbols" while working for the public service. The government used the notwithstanding clause twice since taking power in 2018, (we wrongly said in the episode that they used it every year- but this isn't true, they used a different controversial clause called a "baîllon" every year.)

The Liberal government under Justin Trudeau challenged the bill, and although Mark Carney hasn't weighed in on the subject, his Liberals have continued the challenge. There will be 4 days straight of court hearings about the subject, which has only happened one other time in 1998. The Supreme Court almost always does hearings that last 1 day, sometimes 2. The Globe and Mail made a fantastic article on the subject.

Other than that, we dive deep into the Troisième lien in Quebec city, and the new CAQ budget- as well as new developments on the controversies that ended Pablo Rodriguez' career.

Other headlines we covered:

Canada and Nordic countries meet and vow “closer collaboration as a middle power bloc.”

The Federal Liberals have reached new highs in the polls, not seen since 2016 after Trudeau swept a surprise majority and was at the peak of his honeymoon.

Donald Trump’s administration was paid $10 billion to broker a TikTok deal to create a US version of TikTok.

Trump says he plans on attacking or annexing Cuba. He was quoted as saying, “I do believe I’ll have the honour of taking Cuba.”

Social assistance is not helping people keep housing. Disabled people, people who are unable to make their own income, people on temporary leave, etc., are unable to pay for both food and housing. This has been a long-known problem.

More than half of the Metro stations in Montreal received a failed grade for their current state of repair.

More than a third of hospitals are in the same level of decay, including Laval’s only hospital, which is unable to respond to the city’s needs.

Heather McPherson tried to convince Rob Ashton to make a deal during the NDP leadership election, but was rejected. She wanted to make a deal where NDP members would choose one of the two as their first and second choices on the ballot. The two seem set to lose to Avi Lewis, a Democratic Socialist, and party insiders are reacting negatively to a shift to the left.

Ottawa is spending $1.4 billion to ramp up domestic ammunition production.

800 groups are demanding the cancellation of the Quebec 'faux constitution' project, put forward by the CAQ government as it reaches unprecedented levels of unpopularity.

Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, sees a rapid decline in support after his most recent budget looked set to include massive cuts to art programs, as well as social services, in the province. Protests were so organized and effective that the Premier walked back around fifty percent of the cuts.

20 people in Montreal were arrested for major extortion scams.

Two full train wagons of drugs were stopped on their way to Quebec.

Pierre Poilievre went on Joe Rogan; the interview went well, surprising a lot of commentators.

Canada, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan announced “their readiness to contribute appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.” No one is quite sure what that means, as Canada continues repeating that it will not be involved in military action

Gas prices are set to hit $2 a litre.

An investigation by the CBC revealed that a Canadian company, Entropy, is helping to fundraise money for white supremacists. The company is based out of Alberta.

Ontario is proposing a cap on ticket resale prices at original value, effectively killing the after-market scalping scams. The bill was introduced by the Liberals originally, but was killed by the Ford government, which has now reintroduced it.

Switzerland bans arms exports to the US over Iran.

Longeuil and its police are being sued for $1.9 million because of the murder of Nooran Rezayi.

The US and Israel have killed or injured 1,800 children in Iran and Lebanon.

Israeli settlers smash cars and set fires in attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.

Community groups are going on strike this week.

France municipal elections occurred; Paris remains left-of-center under the slogan, “Don’t let conservatives win like they did in Montreal.”

The big CAQ debate occurred; they talked a lot about the "troisième lien.”

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It was a slow news week, but for Mark Carney it was a bad one.

The war in Iran continues: the US and Israel bombed 20 schools & 13 hospitals in Iran in 1 week. War secretary Pete Hegseth boasted of unleashing death and destruction to provoke collapse with “no stupid rules of engagement.” According to the world health organization the us and israel bombed 13 hospitals minimum. Washington and Tel Aviv have bombed at least 20 Iranian schools according to Unicef.

They destroyed a desalination plant, depriving dozens of Iranian villages of water.

The US and Israel killed more than 1300 Iranians in the first week. Children make up 30% of the victims.

Carney’s rapid response was too quick and probably not well thought out— seemed like he was trying to curry favour with the big orange man! The media ate him alive. The man couldn’t get a break, despite trying hard to clarify his position. First he was pro US-Israel strikes. Then he was taking that stance with regret. Then he wouldn’t rule out involvement. But wait, no it was specifically for our gulf allies. Now, he refers to Iran as a bad place, and the US-Israel strikes as the aggressors. Still, despite this, it won’t be likely to stop the unprecedented success of Carney’s Liberal party in the polls.

In Quebec, the Liberals and the PQ are almost tied in the polls– however, the PQ would still win because they have a more diverse voting base among francophones. With the CAQ, even if Frechette wins, the CAQ would still win 0 seats.

Other top headlines this week:

Conservatives call for an independent inquiry into the Tumbler Ridge shooting

3 dead and 14 injured in shooting in Austin Texas

Study finds sharp rise in young men contacting Ontario gambling helpline.

BC ends time changes– permanently installing daylight saving time.

Immigration could soon account for all of Canada’s population growth. With decreasing immigration numbers, we are likely to decrease in population.

Alberta is excessively vulnerable to foreign interference, experts say

There is now a riding in Nova Scotia that is permanently given to Acadian french speakers, a great achievement for this underserved community.

Trump Promises the next new war soon– probably cuba.

Nintendo is suing the USA over tariffs.

Doug Ford looking to fill in a part of Lake Ontario to build a Toronto convention center

Most Albertans believe that Danielle Smith would vote to separate from Canada, despite her repeatedly saying she wants to stay in Canada and leading the movement to stay in Canada.

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Isaac and Gabrielle have an amazingly sobering conversation this week. Hard to walk away not feeling a bit tense, but still, discussions like this need to start.

After giving the top headlines of the week, from Francois Legault stepping down all the way through China and Canada reaching a brand new deal on EV, the two discuss the possibility of the United States invading Canada. This horrifying reality seems more likely by the day as Trump threatens to invade allies in Europe and considering the new "Donroe Doctrine."

Will it happen? Probably not. But we live in a world that forces us to reflect on it.

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This week’s headlines, all in one place. Analysis on the kidnapping of Maduro, the murder of Renee Good, Iran in the midst of a revolution, or at least protests, Chrystia Freeland, and Heated Rivalry.

One note, during the podcast we did not specify the number of deaths in Iran. That number right now, from verified sources is AT LEAST 544.

Second note: the Quebec Liberals have officially launched their race! A second person joined.

As we start this new era of the show, we will be developing the format to greater serve your needs and bring you news in a timely, analytical manner! This week we mention everything that’s happened in the past week, and then we analyse the above headlines.

Your one stop shop to be free of your phone and the algorithm!

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Nate Erskine Smith and i hopped on the phone to have a talk about his future, about the new Centrist-direction of Carney and the Liberals, and all the problems that we’re facing in our society.

Nate is a long term Liberal member, and has pushed for progressive reforms for a long time. He’s one of the most beloved members of the Liberal caucus by more progressive voters, and is one of the few that speaks out against his party. That being said, he still votes more than 95 per cent of the time with the Liberals. Why?

Well, we dive into that, and the complicated mindset the Liberals have to have, and the challenge that a progressive member of this big tent must keep in order to survive.

N’hésitez pas à consulter pivot.quebec pour découvrir d’autres balados et articles passionnants!

Aujourd’hui, on revient sur cette année complètement folle qu’on a tous vécue ! De l’arrivée d’un nouveau Premier ministre aux rebondissements politiques qui ont marqué la scène québécoise.

Isaac parle des syndicats au Québec et s’interroge sur l’avenir de la province. Peut-on espérer un avenir meilleur ? On verra bien.

Ensuite, Ludvic aborde l’entente entre l’Alberta et Ottawa et ses conséquences.

Enfin, Gab analyse les erreurs monumentales du PSPP et se demande s’il a un avenir au sein du parti, malgré sa première place dans les sondages.

Pour finir, l’équipe présente son événement et sa personnalité de l’année !

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Once again we’re back with another episode of the Gab and Isaac show, our premier show, the most popular, well loved show of all time! This week we’re gonna talk about the Federal Conservatives (Again) and whether Poilievre is done for (We’ve talked about this before.) The floor crosser, Michael Ma, did one of the funniest things of all time and attended the Conservative Christmas party, didn’t pay his ticket, didn’t buy his secret santa a gift, and then went to the Liberal party the next day.

Beyond that, the worsening fortunes of Rodriguez as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party are beating down on him and his future, and we are convinced that it’s over. Meanwhile, PSPP ramps up his bullying, and we wonder at the possibility of him being able to win next year.

All of this, and more, on the Isaac and Gab Show!

Etienne Brisson hopped on the show to talk about a traumatic and harrowing experience that happened in his family, and what it inspired. What does someone do when an AI convinces their family member that they are real sentient beings, and how do we deal with the fallout?

As a response to this scenario, Etienne started a company to educate and fight against real hurts caused by AI, and to push the government to have better restraints and protections around it. His story goes from just being a friend to his relative, all the way to partnering with dozens of major universities and AI companies.

Will it workout for Etienne? What is the future of this company? Let’s find out.

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Luttez pour la démocratie !

Le gouvernement de la Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) au Québec s’engage dans une descente préoccupante vers l’autoritarisme. J’ai invité un avocat spécialiste du droit constitutionnel et un docteur en droit à discuter avec moi de cette situation.

Les utilisations répétées de la clause dérogatoire, les attaques contre la liberté d’expression et la liberté de religion, plus d’une loi bâillon par an, l’élargissement des pouvoirs du Conseil des ministres en matière de prise de décision, la destruction des droits syndicaux (protégés par la Charte canadienne), et, maintenant, une fausse Constitution qui entravera le droit des citoyens de contester les lois que ceux-ci ont adoptées.

Frédéric révèle que l’article 5 de cette prétendue constitution sera instantanément annulé par les tribunaux. De plus, dans l’émission On the Trail, nous avons dévoilé qu’elle contient une clause susceptible d’affecter négativement les soins d’avortement à long terme, ce qui va directement à l’encontre des vœux des groupes féministes.

On note également d’autres enjeux. La « constitution » est soumise à la constitution canadienne, ce qui rend certaines parties entièrement invalides. Non seulement cela, mais cette constitution ne prévoit aucune possibilité de révision, ce qui la rend encore plus absurde. Les difficultés qu’elle renferme sont alarmantes, et, compte tenu de la cote de popularité historiquement basse de François Legault et de son gouvernement de la CAQ, l’adoption unilatérale de ce projet de loi sans consultation adéquate pourrait bien constituer l’un des échecs les plus retentissants de leur mandat déjà entaché. Pour un gouvernement qui affirmait vouloir améliorer l’efficacité, il n’a rien fait de tel. La chute de ce gouvernement semble inévitable dans un an.

Mais, qui attend-il dans les coulisses ?

PSPP et le Parti québécois montent dans les sondages et semblent en passe d’obtenir un gouvernement majoritaire écrasant s’il y avait des élections aujourd’hui. Ils flirtent cependant avec l’extrême droite, s’envolant en France et se laissant entièrement convaincre par les théories du complot d’extrême droite du « grand remplacement », ainsi que par des figures extrémistes comme Mathieu Bock-Côté.

De l’autre côté de la classe dirigeante québécoise, les libéraux du Québec s’effondrent de l’intérieur, avec un scandale après l’autre, retombant ainsi dans des allégations de corruption, et la ruine totale.

Rejoignez-nous aujourd’hui à l’émission On the Trail pour analyser en profondeur le grave danger auquel fait face le Québec.

Si vous appréciez notre travail, n’hésitez pas à le découvrir et à nous soutenir par un don mensuel ou ponctuel ! https://linktr.ee/isaacapeltz

Découvrez le travail de Fréd sur : https://www.instagram.com/frederic.berard.39/ et facebook.com/frederic.berard.39

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As the CAQ government of Quebec continues its dangerous, anti democratic backsliding, I invited constitutional lawyer and doctor of law to discuss this terrible situation with me.

Repeated uses of the notwithstanding clause, attacking freedom of expression and freedom of religion, more than one baîllon per year, expansion of cabinet powers over decision making, destruction of union rights (protected in the Canadian charter,) and now a faux constitution that will infringe upon the rights of the people to challenge laws that they are passing.

Fréd explains that section five of this faux constitution will be immediately destroyed in court. Not only that, but at On the Trail, we broke the news that the constitution had a clause in it that could damage abortion care long term, directly ignoring the wishes of feminist organizations.

There are other issues present. The “constitution” is subject to the Canadian constitution, thus rendering significant portions of it completely invalid. Not only that, but there is no amendment clause, making the constitution seem even more farcical. The amount of problems with it are shocking, and considering the historic unpopularity of François Legault and his CAQ government, to unilaterally pass this bill without proper consultation is poised to be one of the largest disasters in their already-controversial, ineffective tenure. For a government who said they wanted to improve efficiency, they have done anything except that– and the downfall of this government seems inevitable in one year’s time.

But who’s waiting in the wings?

PSPP and the Parti Quebecois climb in the polls, they seem poised to have a huge majority government if there was an election today. But they’re toying with the extreme right wing, flying to France and becoming wholly convinced of the far right conspiracies of the replacement theory, as well as extremist figures such as Mathieu Bock Coté.

On the other side of the modern Quebec ruling class, the Liberals of Quebec are collapsing internally, with scandal after scandal causing them to fall, once again, into corruption accusations and complete ruin.

Join us today On the Trail as we break down the deeply dangerous slide that Quebec is facing.

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This is the year that never stops giving! The news won’t stop newsing, and Carney won’t stop moving to the right. This week, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Carney and Smith may have permanently jeapordized his chances of continuing his reign in Canada. Quebec media and Quebec communities are upset, and are being pushed towards the Bloc Quebecois at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, in BC, lower mainland voters are upset, alongside much of the NDP in the province. How will the MOU affect the voters in the next election? We’re going to find out!

Then, unions turn up in force! Fifty thousand members of unions came out on Saturday to fight back against the Quebec government, which is resembling more and more a far right nationalist government (wow that’s a terrible sentence to say!) who wants to destroy unions, end LGBTQ rights, and give the rich more power while diminishing social services. Hmm why do all these things sound so historically familiar?

Best journalism in human history, gimme your cash

Rob Ashton, running to be the next leader of the NDP has spent his life as a labourer, and he looks it. He’s the real deal, and it makes sense that he would be running to be the leader of the party who aligns themselves with unions and labour rights. A labour leader, a union boss, and a true west coaster. Rob wants to fundamentally reform Canada to reflect a bottom up vision, where worker have power and aren’t run by the ruling class. Can he do it?

Although his vision is bold, we had questions about the specifics of how he’s going to do it, and some criticisms of how it might unfold. Dive in today with Isaac Peltz and Rob Ashton On the Trail.

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Les États-Unis et Israël ont attaqué l’Iran sans l’approbation du Congrès. Trump continue de poser des gestes illégaux sans pratiquement aucune opposition, tant à l’échelle internationale que locale. Le monde se plie à toutes ses volontés. Mark Carney a déclaré que l’attaque était justifiée afin d’empêcher l’Iran d’obtenir la bombe nucléaire, faisant preuve d’une hypocrisie totale après son discours bien accueilli à Davos, où il affirmait que l’ordre international fondé sur des règles était un mensonge.

Et maintenant ? Eh bien, nous n’avons pas répondu à cela. Au moment de l’enregistrement de cet épisode, nous étions le matin du bombardement. Depuis lors, Pete Hegseth (l’homme de Fox News devenu secrétaire à la Guerre) a déclaré qu’ils n’avaient pas l’intention de transformer cela en une « guerre éternelle », tout en ne fournissant aucun calendrier. Mark Carney et la plupart des dirigeants occidentaux ont approuvé l’action américaine, mais n’ont offert aucune aide. Israël et les États-Unis semblent isolés — du moins pour l’instant — malgré les beaux discours.

Pendant ce temps, Gab et Isaac analysent les récents changements dans les sondages au Québec et ce que cela pourrait signifier pour les élections de cette année. L’état du Québec, les changements de leadership et la course électorale suscitent de nombreuses discussions. Force est de constater que les choses ne s’annoncent pas bien pour le chef du Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. Nous évoquons également l’élection partielle au Royaume-Uni où les Verts ont battu les travaillistes dans une circonscription où ils étaient stables depuis plus de 100 ans.

Les points marquants de la semaine :

* Le Canada perd au hockey ! Nous sommes tous déprimés. Montréal a également perdu jeudi ; nous sommes déprimés par cela aussi.

* Un chef de cartel a été tué au Mexique, provoquant une réaction violente de ces syndicats du crime.

* Les voyages vers les États-Unis ont chuté de plus de 20 %, incluant une baisse de 5,1 % du trafic de camions, 18,8 % pour les véhicules personnels, 15,4 % pour les piétons et 14,6 % pour les autobus.

* L’Ontario n’a pas réussi à fournir de locaux de bureau aux fonctionnaires, malgré un mandat de « retour au bureau ».

* Le Parti Québécois remporte une autre élection partielle dans Chicoutimi.

* La STM dévoile un tunnelier unique pour les nouvelles stations de la ligne bleue ! Le symbole du métro y est peint.

* Le coroner de l’Ontario confirme des centaines d’autres décès d’enfants dans les pensionnats autochtones.

* Alexandre Boulerice n’a pas annoncé officiellement sa candidature pour QS... mais il l’a en quelque sorte confirmée. L’information a fuité et tout le monde est maintenant au courant ! Cela signera la fin du NPD au Québec, dont le retour est peu probable.

* Des soldats de l’armée israélienne (IDF) ont été invités comme conférenciers dans des écoles du Québec, bien après le 7 octobre.

* Le SPVM mène une opération qui pourrait mener à l’arrestation de mineurs dans la juridiction d’une autre ville. La police a commencé à enquêter sur les amis de Nooran Rezayi au lieu de faire progresser l’enquête sur la personne qui a tué Nooran.

* Le Pakistan est en guerre ouverte avec l’Afghanistan.

* Starmer, le chef du Parti travailliste britannique, a subi une défaite cuisante face au Parti vert (gauche). Le siège perdu était détenu par les travaillistes depuis plus de 100 ans.

* Evan Solomon, le ministre de l’IA du Canada, a déclaré qu’OpenAI, le créateur de ChatGPT, n’en faisait pas assez à la suite de la fusillade en Colombie-Britannique. Des mois avant la tuerie de Tumbler Ridge, la tireuse avait été signalée pour avoir discuté de la fusillade avec ChatGPT. Elle a été bannie de la plateforme, mais au lieu d’informer le gouvernement canadien, l’entreprise a gardé le silence.

* Ottawa accorde 8 millions de dollars à Cuba pour aider à l’approvisionnement alimentaire du pays face aux blocus américains.

* Deux semaines seulement après l’arrivée de Milliard à la tête du Parti libéral du Québec, celui-ci a presque rattrapé le PQ dans les sondages. À l’heure actuelle, le PQ est toujours en position de l’emporter, mais la course est désormais lancée — le soutien pourrait continuer de s’effriter pour eux.

* Israël et les États-Unis attaquent l’Iran. Leur affirmation, selon laquelle il s’agirait d’armes nucléaires, a été catégoriquement réfutée à plusieurs reprises. C’est une guerre impérialiste.

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Soutenez les seuls journalistes bilingues de la planète ! (Ce n’est pas vrai.)

Bienvenue dans le sixième épisode du Plancher des vaches ! Cette semaine, dans notre balado en français, nous décortiquons les éternels drames et catastrophes de la scène politique canadienne.

Le gouvernement fédéral est instable, le budget ayant été adopté de justesse, tandis que la popularité de Pierre Poilievre continue de chuter.

Au Québec, la constitution menace les droits des citoyens, les médecins sont en colère et les syndicats sont en pleine effervescence. Mais cette semaine ?

Le Parti libéral du Québec traverse une crise majeure qui a éclipsé tous les problèmes considérables du gouvernement de la CAQ. Pablo Rodriguez pourrait bien ne jamais s’en remettre.

Enfin, les élections municipales de Montréal sont en difficulté, et des membres de l’équipe de Denis Coderre travaillent maintenant pour Soraya. Tout cela, et bien plus encore, dans le Plancher des vaches de cette semaine !

Our opinions are expert. And sometimes kind of dumb.

Isaac and Gabrielle are back to discuss this past week of news… which just wouldn’t stop. The parliament passed it’s first budget since the federal election, and the Epstein files are coming out. Isaac splits hairs when they comment on Trump probably not touching little girls, but nonetheless being a serial r*pist. Woops! Simply put he’s a horrible person!

After that, they dig into Quebec… which is having a huge scandal rock the Liberal Party of Quebec! What a wild week in the endless slew of news information. We also dive right deep into AI in journalism again as an amazing article came out in the Local Toronto! Check it out here, highly recommended, you should read it.

https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/

Enjoy this off the rails discussion, and feel free to donate, help out, and share the podcast!

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Today On the Trail we have Janelle Lapointe and Albert Lalonde from the David Suzuki Foundation who are here to discuss COP30 and its failings. There were some technical problems, but the interview came out beautifully. Enjoy this deep dive into the resistance, the power structures, and the power of hope while fighting off the onslaught of the far right. If you enjoy interviews like this, please check out On the Trail at https://onthetrailmtl.ca or look at all our articles and other work at https://linktr.ee/isaacapeltz

Avi Lewis is running to be the leader of the NDP. His views are openly socialist, and pulling the party to the left. His ideas include creating public options for grocery stores, public options for housing, public options for... honestly, just public options for everything.

Let’s grow

A Social Democrat, he believes that the right thing to do is to actually build things in this country, and he thinks he might be able to be the one who does it. Some things he expresses ? Avi believes that democracy is not fully realized in the country. Local representation is crucial for effective governance. Community connections play a vital role in political engagement. He is willing to die for his community.

A legacy behind him, and a lifelong activist, writer and reporter, Avi is a bit different than the others in the race for leadership. Will he win? Can he convince you? More to come soon, On the Trail. If you like these types of interviews and want more, say the word and we’ll make it happen.

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This week was another insane week in a year that was full of insane weeks. Isaac and Gabrielle break it down in their usual way.

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The Mayoral election race in Montreal has occured, and suprising no one, Soraya Martinez Ferrada is the winner. She ran a compaign that no one would call inspiring, but she was against opponents that most people would struggle to call anything but flat. The competition was unimpressive, uninspiring, and it led to Projet losing the race, losing some seats, and finally losing their leader. The night of the election loss, Rabouin took the responsibility and quit.

It seems that Liberals in Canada are having insane luck with their opponents falling short, because while Ferrada won in Montreal due to her opponents being uninteresting, Carney is looking better and better in the eyes of Canadians. Popcorn flick drama took the parliament by surprise this week, as the conservatives started eating themselves alive. First, Chris d’Entremont, a mild mannered east coast Progressive Conservative member of the party crossed the floor, reminding us that the PC and the Liberals are not far from one another. Poilievre then failed to announce the conservative ammendment to the Liberal budget. Then, another member quit dramatically, and rumours say that he was likely to cross the floor. For any political junkies, it’s been a wild week.

In other news, Quebec Solidaire elected a new co-leader. Isaac complains, Gab complains, and we’re all in shock. Their strategy seems to be to capture the nationalist left, which hardly exists in 2025 like it did in the 70s. Has QS just shot themselves in the foot?

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No, it isn’t. (We might regret this statement.)

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That’s what it boils down to. Why? Pretty simple— no one can afford it except the Liberals. They’re currently the only party who has the confidence to win and the money to make a national statement. Not only that, but if anyone votes down the budget and plunges the country into another election, it’s highly likely that the Liberals would beat the hell out of anyone who forced the government into another eleciton. No one wants that. Everyone wants a little stability right now, with Trump to the south and global democracy on the downward spiral.

Beyond that, the fallout of Bill 2 in Quebec has been consequential. Already nearly 200 doctors have applied to leave the province, with more to come. As our health care is already near collapse, we can’t afford to lose this many people. Here we are nonetheless, with doctors fed up. The CAQ is at the lowest point in their history in public support, and yet they implemented a major, complex law, and people are calling this a move towards authoritarianism.

All this and more today!

The two of us break down the challenges that Poilievre has been making for himself in the past week. As Poilievre stands to be vetted in January, he’s made a mistake that has cost him a lot of support within his caucus- at least the easterners. As the Conservative Party moves further and further right, the party becomes divided on the viability of this strategy. Do they keep moving in the MAGA direction, or do they head back towards a more moderate, economic conservatism ?

meanwhile, Quebec is suppressing any dissent within its fracturing medical system, as the doctors push back against the CAQ’s unwillingness to negotiate. Another desperate move from a desperate government.

Finally, what’s up with these new tariffs? And do they even matter? Why doesn’t the government do something interesting about this, and nationalize industries that are refusing to stay in Canada? At one point, liberals were stronger and had a backbone. Now? A bit less so.

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I was asked, very earnestly, on social media whether voting is a good idea or not, and whether it will truly change something.

Yes, obviously it will.

There is no such thing as a perfect leader, there is no such thing as a perfect solution. In no occasion and under no circumstance will we ever see a perfect, utopian leader or social system that we all dream of seeing one day. And that’s okay!

Instead, voting becomes a practical way of exercising our rights. We seem to be focused on who is the “least bad” of all options, but in federal elections, only around 60 per cent of people are showing up to vote. But imagine a system where everyone showed up to vote, and where we had a better representation in government (a discussion for a different video would be proportional representation.)

Those who are choosing not to vote are ignoring fundamental right they have in Canada, and are, through their actions, saying that they don’t care about the direction of a city. The importance of protesting is obvious, the importance of direct action is apparent, but a singular approach will not work, especially within an entrenched system like Canada.

Instead, we have to have every approach simultaneously. We need to vote and participate in our elections, but then simultaneously we need to be seeing direct action and calling out public office. We need journalism, and we need activism. Without a dynamic, fluid, multi pronged society, there will be no change– and voting is a mandatory part of that within our society.

Subscribe now for the best work you’ve ever seen.

This week in the Gab and Isaac Show, we talk about the new Quebec constitution, an inapplicable law that is being presented as something new, and fresh. The polls are saying that more than seventy percent of Quebecois are approving of this idea, versus when the PQ did this exact same thing more than a decade ago. The Law of Laws? Bad news Quebec… The king in this country is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This has started a lot of media moguls to say that maybe this is the time when Legault steps down. Who will pick up from the ashes of his likely departure? Maybe they’re setting up the next leader quietly.

Meanwhile, PSPP is making some of the biggest mistakes of his career, declaring a war on one of the most influential Quebec media and somehow being unable to publish their letter with another media, calling into question their influence. Their lead is tentative, but also the Quebec Liberals don’t seem to be making headway into the political scene.

Finally, what’s going on in the Montreal Municipal election? It seems like there might be some twists and turns, and Isaac is predicting a m… well, you’ll have to listen to find out who Isaac thinks will win the mayoral race.

Enjoy this bombastic, hot take filled episode covering the hottest news in Quebec right now.

Journal Métro is back from the dead… and the news on its site will be written by AI. This is likely a trend that will slowly take over, so let’s take a moment to discuss.

Metro, a Montreal daily that was previously one of the best pieces of information for everyone who needed local news, is back from the dead. Covid killed it, and they’ve been resuscitated. But with a twist!? Their articles and news will be written by AI, with the goal of making the original news on the platform through journalists who will do deeper investigations instead of dailies. All of this news that will be written by AI will be curated and fact checked by their editor in chief, Olivier Robichaud, a colleague and acquaintance of both Isaac and Gab (Isaac has done some work with Olivier.) Is this a good, or a bad idea?

Well, let’s figure that out (spoiler, Isaac and Gab do not approve.) What are the advantages of this, other than saving money? Well, let’s dig in for this eighth instalment of the Gab & Isaac show.

We aren’t AI. Or are we!? Sign up to find out!

Subscribe today at https://onthetrail.ca for $5 a month, or for our free newsletter!

The USA & Israel have attacked Iran, without Congressional approval. Trump continues doing illegal actions with essentially no push back internationally, and locally. The world cowtows to his every whim.

Mark Carney said that the attack was justified, in order to prevent a nuclear bomb getting in the hands of Iran, essentially showing himself to be completely hypocritical after his well received Davos speech, where he said the international rules based order was a lie.

Now what? Well, we didn’t answer that. When this episode was recorded, it was the morning of the bombing. Since then, Pete Hegseth (Fox news guy turned secretary of war) said that they didn’t plan on making this a “forever war”, while still not giving a timeline. Mark Carney, and most Western leaders, expressed approval of US action, but offered no help. Israel and the USA seem to be alone— at least for now— despite lip service being paid to them.

Meanwhile, Gab and Isaac break down the recent Quebec polling changes, and what that might mean for this year’s election. A lot of discussion is coming around the state of Quebec, and the changes in leadership and the race. Suffice to say that things don’t look great for leader Paul St Pierre Plamondon of the Parti Quebecois.

Top items this week:

Canada loses at hockey! We are all depressed about it. Montreal lost on thursday as well. We are depressed about that too.

A Cartel leader is killed in Mexico, prompting violent reaction from these crime syndicates.

Travel to the USA is down by more than 20 per cent, including a 5.1 per cent decrease in truck traffic, 18.8 per cent in personal vehicles, 15.4 per cent in pedestrians, and 14.6 percent in bus traffic.

Ontario failed to provide office spaces for public servants, despite a “back to office” mandate.

The Parti Quebecois wins another byelection in Chicoutimi.

The STM unveils unique tunnel boring machine for the new Blue Line stops! It’s got the Metro symbol painted on.

Ontario coroner confirms hundreds more children’s deaths from residential schools.

Alexandre Boulerice didn’t announce he would be running for QS… but he sort of confirmed it. This was leaked, and people are now fully aware! This will spell the end of the NPD in Quebec, with them unlikely to return.

Israeli Defense Force soldiers were invited as speakers at schools in Quebec, long after October 7th.

The SPVM are holding an operation that could lead to the arrest of minors in a nother city’s jurisdiction. The police have started investigating Nooran Rezayi’s friends, instead of helping with an investigation of the person who killed Nooran.

Pakistan is at open war with Afghanistan.

Starmer, the leader of the UK Labour party, saw a crushing defeat to the left wing Green Party. The seat that they lost has been held by labour for more than 100 years.

Evan Solomon, the AI minister of Canada, said that Open AI, the makers of Chat GPT, aren’t doing enough in the wake of BC shooting. Months before the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, the shooter was flagged for talking to ChatGPT about the shooting. She was banned from the platform, but instead of informing the Canadian government, they stayed silent.

Ottawa gives 8 million dollars to Cuba to help provide food to the country amid USA blockades.

Within two weeks of Milliard taking the reins of the Liberal Party of Quebec, they’ve almost caught up to the PQ in the polls. Right now, the PQ is still on track to win, but the race is now a race– support might keep sliding for them.

Israel and the USA attack Iran. Their claim, that it’s about nuclear weapons, has been categorically disproven repeatedly. This is a war of imperialism.

Photo by the Rezayi family.

thanks for supporting us with your hard earned cash!

The world doesn’t seem too good right now, and we’re here to talk about it. But even more than that, we’re here to talk about how social media is causing observers of world events more trauma in some cases than the very people world events happen to. A study in the national geographic has opened our eyes to the way that our brain will become cyclically retraumatized around major events, and how dark it can get.

Meanwhile, we also dive into Nooran’s shooting in Longueuil Quebec this week, the brutal response by the police, and the emboldening, and worsening racism of the CAQ. We also dive into the replacement theory of the PQ as Gabrielle confronts Isaac about their previous interest in the PQ.

All in a days work with Isaac and Gab! We’d love if you signed up for $5 a month at https://isaacpeltz.ca to support our work, or if you’re unable, like and subscribe to this podcast, and share it!

This week on the docket is an endless slew of news about the winding, eternally collapsing CAQ government. In a shock move, a former minister left the CAQ last week to sit as an independent, saying that Legault has abandoned the regions. Meanwhile, PSPP is climbing in the ranks, and spreading misinformation (which Isaac is pushing back against) and the state of affairs within the Quebec government is growing more dire by the day.

If you dig this work by Gabrielle and Isaac, please feel free to subscribe! $5 a month goes a long way. If not, share and talk to your friends about this Canadian political junkie podcast.

Isaac and Gab talk about what everyone else is talking about, and probably add little to the conversation. The two of them are not deeply familiar with his work, although posthumously have learned much. Why can people not both condemn someone’s beliefs and mourn a horrifying, sickening event? Walking and chewing gum isn’t simple, but it’s about damn time people started doing it. Don’t trust what media is saying right now, since it’s mostly tainted with partisan cockery.

If you don’t already, subscribe at https://isaacpeltz.ca

Gab & Isaac love this job.

Thankfully, right after the two of us are able to dive right back into analyzing Canada’s politics- first Carney’s resource innovation and movement to AI, and second into Francois Legault attempting a facelift. Don’t worry, it won’t work.

All this and more in this week’s Gab & Isaac Show.

HELP GAB AND ISAAC GET UNCANCELLED*

This week Gab and Isaac break it down once again and discuss the past week of the Quebec government (and briefly talk about Mark Carney). Between the SAAQ-Cliq scandal and the Northvolt scandal, collapsing numbers in Quebec polling, historic potential to not gain a single seat, an overwhelming feeling of the end of a decade in Quebec politics is upon our doorstep.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Isaac is convinced that Legault is quitting. Gab is convinced that he’s going down with the ship. What will happen? Well, we don’t know yet.

Meanwhile, Isaac and Gab make fun of people who don’t speak french but live in Quebec (well, we tease them at least,) The two have a great time throwing back and forth, and in the end, they get themselves cancelled* through their FIREY opinions… which ones you ask? You’ll have to listen to find out in this Substack exclusive with Gab and Isaac!

If you like the work, sign up for free or paid at https://isaacpeltz.ca !

*By the way, the cancellation thing is a joke. I know that a bunch of you won’t get that it was a joke. Nothing heinous was said in this episode.

The goal is to make it to double our current subscribers. Will you be one of the ones?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION HERE

Sergio, a beloved Montreal venue owner, is here believing that he might be able to shift the city of Montreal away from the creeping police violence, growing homelessness and unaffordability of the city.

Criticising the failed policies of Mayor Valerie Plante's 20/20/20 rules, and coming off of decades in music and running a venue, Sergio has thrown his hat into the ring to become the city counselor of Ville Marie. A bilingual, well known individual, he believes that there might be something good coming for the city, so Isaac grills him on what ideas he claims to have.

This is the first in a series about the Municipal Elections in Montreal.

GIVE ISAAC YOUR MONEY

Enjoy the third edition of the Gab & Isaac Show, where we dive deep into the media, the states, journalists, and Quebec. Not in that order. As always, we go right into the hardest questions possible that have no possible answer with no qualms or fear for the consequences. Hopefully Quebec Solidaire is listening, cause we give them some good advice.

Enjoy this third episode of the Gab & Isaac Show!

MONEY CONTROLS OUR SOULS AND YOU SHOULD GIVE US MONEY

This week in our headlining show, Isaac breaks some big news this week that hasn’t yet been disclosed about both the Air Canada employees and the Conservative Party of Canada. When you hear it here, it’ll come out soon. Gab takes legacy media to task. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this!

Each week Gab and Isaac will be breaking down the major headlines of the week across Canada and Quebec, and giving you the news that matters. If you like it, sign up now!

SERIOUSLY THIS IS BREAKING NEWS THIS WEEK, BUT NO ONE IS GONNA PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT’S INDIES SAYING IT

Isaac Peltz interviews Yves Engler, a controversial and important political figure in the leftist scene in Canada. Many people have criticized Engler and decried his aggressive, in your face style, but is it well deserved? Isaac dives right into Engler's life, they talk about growing up in a labour family, political awakening, and approaching a bid at leadership for Canada's left wing party, the NDP. In this highly engaging conversation, Engler doesn't hold back, and talks about an establishment campaign being tallied together to prevent him from having the impact he wants to, whether it be for Palestine, or for socialism in Canada. How complicit is Canada in violent displacement of world leaders? Let's find out today, on the trail.

Do you like these interviews? They come out most Fridays, so subscribe now to On the Trail at https://isaacpeltz.ca

Please go peruse Yves' books at https://yvesengler.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Yves Engler and His Activism

06:31 Canada's Role in the 2004 Haiti Coup

13:41 Yves Engler's NDP Leadership Bid and Political Vision

22:04 Political Dynamics and Campaign Challenges

27:10 NDP's Stance on Palestine and Internal Conflicts

35:32 The Future of Leftist Politics in Canada

Gab wants to come get pepper sprayed with Isaac and Will because she has fomo!

Gabrielle is back! Once a week (and sometimes with an article!) The two of us break down some of the biggest news once a week, talking about a wide variety of stuff— This week there was a by-election in Arthabaska, Quebec. It has some shocking implications in the political realm of Quebec. After that we discuss the militarization of Canada, and Carney’s elbows up mandate that may have been slightly misunderstood. We discuss the fascist turn of the United States, as they decide to reanalyse the Smithsonian museums displays to better suit the interpretation of Trump’s administration, and finally we discuss Wildfire safety.

This show will be replacing the former news roundup, with a bit more love and personality, and as an excuse to drag Gab eternally back into the substack. It is completely exclusive on Substack for all subscribers, so that’s exciting!

Today Isaac Peltz interviews the great Celeste Trianon, a brilliant woman, a lawyer, and an activist for queer and trans people.

In this conversation, Isaac Peltz speaks with activist Celeste Trianon about the evolution of pride protests in Montreal, particularly focusing on the rise of Rad Pride as a response to police brutality and corporate influence in mainstream pride events. They discuss the experiences of activists at these protests, the media's portrayal of events, and the community's reactions to ongoing violence against LGBTQ individuals. Celeste emphasizes the importance of human dignity and the need for continued activism in the face of rising anti-trans rhetoric and hate crimes. The conversation concludes with reflections on the future of LGBTQ rights in Canada and the necessity of fighting back against oppressive forces.

Please look at Celeste's work here:

https://celeste.lgbt

on socials @celestetrianon

Please sign up for the substack COMPLETELY FREE HERE

WE INTERVIEW PEOPLE WHO MATTER

Sound Bites "People have hope for the future."

"It's spineless, in a way."

"It's all about human dignity at the end of the day."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Activism and Education

02:08 Rad Pride: A Protest Against Corporatization

04:44 Experiences of Police Brutality at Pride Events

07:23 Media Coverage and Its Impact on Activism

10:16 Community Reactions and Alternative Pride Events

12:34 The Intersection of Politics and Pride

15:33 Future of LGBTQ Rights in Canada

18:10 The Role of Corporations in Pride

20:24 Denouncing Hate and Promoting Acceptance

23:09 The Importance of Human Dignity

25:29 Conclusion and Call to Action

Check out our work at https://onthetrailmtl.ca and support us for $5, or sign up for our free newsletter!

Danielle Smith introduces a referendum that is to be held next October. In this referendum there are nine questions, ranging from highly racist to impossible and aspirational. It seems clear— Danielle Smith doesn’t want to be part of Canada anymore, but she wants to continue benefitting from the financial stability of the country as well as transfer payments for things such as health care. Don’t tell me how to run my province, but please keep giving us your cash. This isn’t our opinion. She says it herself in her question 8 of the referendum.

8. Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?

We don’t want to do what you say, but you have to give us the money anyways.

Despite campaigning to receive more immigrants in her Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, lobbying the feds to allow them to receive more labourers to deal with their labour shortage. Now, as she defunds health care and actively dismantles the public system, she is claiming it’s the fault of immigrants. She also wants to create a second class of citizen in the province, and to introduce the largest democratic backslide in Canadian history.

Gabrielle and Isaac Break it down for you.

Share this with people! Help us grow!

Here are all the top headlines this week:

Canadians can now travel visa free to China starting last week, as China continues their work to become a major soft power influencing western democracies away from the United States.

1 Dead 1 injured after shooting in Chilliwack.

US choking out Cuba through sanctions. This is a historic ally of Canada. Canada still hasn’t spoken up about it.

A massive trade delegation was sent to Mexico this week.

Jamil Jivani desperately asks for media attention by talking to breitbart and saying Canadians throwing “hissy fit” over the United States. He clearly wants to be the next leader of the CPC

Charles Milliard hits the right tone in his leadership speech, but austerity measures seem to be on the way. 100,000 houses built a year, tele medicine, funding education. But he does not indicate a strategy to pay for it.

Scotiabank fully divests from Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems due to protests, proving that sometimes civic action works.

3 shot dead at rhode island youth hocket game

BC produces a budget that is both underwhelming and poor management.

Food Inflation spiked in 7.3 per cent in january, largely due to the cost of beef.

Former prince andrew arrested

CANADA LOSES AT HOCKEY VS THE USA

QS accepts bending their rules about gender parity. Rumour has it that Alexandre Boulerice is switching to provincial politics, essentially leaving Quebec shut out to the NDP

BIG STORIES

Third Conservative crosses floor

SAAQ Clic report is out!

In a politico poll released this week, Canadians broadly dislike the united States, preferring every single other western democracy over them, and barely preferring the United States over Saudi Arabia.

Danielle Smith announces racist referendum, trying to remove health care from immigrants and asylum seekers. The referendum is the following questions:

1. Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?

2. Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?

3. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?

4. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the healthcare and education systems?

5. Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?

6. Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts?

7. Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?

8. Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?

9. Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province’s laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province’s laws and federal laws conflict?

Between the police beating me up this weekend and me getting death threats for covering the Genocide in Palestine, I’d love if you supported me with $5 a month!

In this conversation, Isaac Peltz interviews Samira Mohieddin, a journalist and former CBC producer, about her life journey from Iran to Canada, her career in journalism, and her perspectives on the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine. Samira discusses her experiences as a queer woman in journalism, her resignation from CBC following the October 7th attacks, and her views on media bias, genocide, and the identity and nationalism in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. How is biblical language being employed to create fervour ?

"Israel does not like history."

"This is a theater of the absurd."

"Canada rewards terror."

Samira was gracious enough to have an interview with Isaac despite her incredibly busy schedule. Isaac's audio got totally wack, and we're sorry about that. Please check out her work here:

https://www.patreon.com/OnTheLineMedia

00:00 Introduction to Samira Mohieddin

02:23 Samira's Journey: From Iran to Canada

04:38 The Path to Performing Arts and Journalism

07:19 Resignation from CBC: A Turning Point

09:55 Understanding the October 7th Attacks

12:22 The Nature of Genocide: A Critical Perspective

14:22 The Role of Religion in Conflict

15:23 Navigating Criticism: Anti-Semitism and Journalism

17:50 Media Narratives: Shifts in Public Perception

18:44 Media Narratives and Historical Context

23:11 The Role of Social Media in Shaping Perspectives

26:46 Canada's Policy and International Complicity

29:36 The Future of Gaza and Palestinian Rights

WATCH OR LISTEN

In this engaging conversation, Isaac Peltz interviews Emily Lowan, a candidate for the leadership of the BC Green Party. They discuss Lowan's political awakening, her activism, and the challenges she faces in the current political landscape. The conversation delves into the disillusionment with the NDP, the potential for leftist politics in Canada, and the importance of grassroots movements. Lowan shares her vision for the Green Party and the urgency of engaging young voters in the political process.

Check out Isaac's Substack- https://isaacpeltz.ca

Go look at Emily's site: https://emilyforbcgreens.ca/

Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Interview Series

01:16 Emily Lowan: A New Voice in BC Politics

02:42 Activism and Political Awakening

08:48 Disillusionment with the Political System

13:19 The Role of the Greens in BC Politics

17:37 The Viability of Leftist Politics in Canada

25:52 Coping with Political Pressure

27:27 The Shift of the NDP to the Right

33:07 Public Dissatisfaction with the NDP

37:55 Challenges within the Left

43:30 Membership Drive and Future Aspirations

Who are the people suffering during this crisis? Yes, we've talked about statistics and seen the political world behind all this-- but practically. Who is it that is suffering?

Well, it's just people like you and I. 

Beyond the stats, real people are going through hard times. We asked a couple. We investigated one incident. And we heard again from Dave Chapman. It's not just an idea that this is a tough time, people are genuinely suffering. So lets hear them speak in the final episode of the investigation.

Check out our written companion pieces on https://Pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

Today we dive into the types of people who are really, REALLY doing the lords work in the institutions which count. We have Catherine Fournier on (and mention Andres Fontecilla) and she's one of the rare people in power doing work in her city. And then we talk about the behind the scenes drama! Afterwards we have an interview with Util, a non-profit housing builder/management company that is working to improve the lives of Students in Montreal. Finally, we have Elaine Larouche from Moisson Montreal to talk about food banks and how bad the situation has become.

Check out our written companion pieces on https://Pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

Today we finally talk to the people in power. You have a comprehensive understanding of the problems, the successes, the people who are on the ground with their boots, activists who want to do better for the country. Now let's talk to the leaders in power, the people who wield the keys of change. Today we dive into the willingness to enact change on every level of government-- talking to Benoît Dorait, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, Virginie Dufour and Jean-Yves Duclos. This episode might make you feel exasperated... so strap in for a fun ride.

Check out our written companion pieces on https://pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

In episode one, we laid the groundwork for what's been going on in the housing crisis. In episode two we set up the solutions on a policy level, having Francis Cortellino and Marie José Houle on to discuss what they're doing within the system. However, policy and action take two kinds of folks-- policy makers, and people who work on the ground. Thinkers are important, theory is essential, but who works beside those living the reality of the housing crisis?

This week we tell the story of how Isaac blew on online, and gained fifteen minutes of fame and we have two very well known people on to discuss the crisis. Lynn O'Donnel works from CACV, a group in Verdun, Montreal that helps people all over the city deal with landlords who choose to abuse their power. On the other side, we have Ricardo Tranjan, probably one of Canada's top thinkers around the housing crisis, and author of the book "the Tenant Class." These two dive straight into actionable solutions that are more practical on an individual level.

Check out our written companion pieces on https://Pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

This week Francis Cortellino breaks down the economics of the housing crisis, and Marie-Jose Houle explains the policies and ideas that would fix the housing if properly implemented, as well as how the government has introduced new ideas into our country to make sure the crisis doesn't get worse. 

Check out our written companion pieces on https://Pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

This week we set the stage-- preliminary explanations on how we got to this point in the housing crisis, and how the problem goes back forty years. What is gentrification? Is it the same in the big cities and the small towns? Well, through interviews and research, Isaac and Gab are gonna bring you to understand exactly where things went wrong before we can talk about how to fix it. Knowledge slaps!

Check out our written companion pieces on https://Pivot.quebec, and please subscribe to the https://therover.ca and https://duoduet.substack.com ! 

Isaac Peltz: @isaacapeltz
Gabrielle Brassard Lecours: @gabettebl

All sound was mixed and mastered by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
All interviews conducted by Isaac Peltz & Gabrielle Brassard Lecours
This was made possible because of a grant by AJIQ!

The trailer for one of the most extensive investigations into the housing crisis ever done.

Good morning everyone,

This week Gab and I couldn’t figure out the time. No biggie. Organizing is hard!

A challenging week this week for the whole country, when a shooting took place in Tumbler Ridge, BC. This small community of 2000 people saw the largest massacre of children in Canadian history, and has resulted in mourning across the board. It’s likely you, along with everyone else, walked around with a pit in your stomach and heaviness around you. The people in Tumbler Ridge will never be the same.

This isn’t supposed to happen to us, we say. But it did. Now the time comes where we have to ask why.

So Chris and Isaac dive into it. After breaking down the top headlines of the week, we ask ourselves why this happened, and how we can change. We discuss the frustrating details of the situation and are honest, and emotional. Chris describes the fear he felt as a father, in an honest, and empathetic conversation. We can’t just accept the status quo. We need real action. And we discuss what that might look like.

Before getting there, we discuss every headline of the week— this week there was a lot going on in Quebec! Here are all the headlines of the week of Feb 9th.

Bad bunny was amazing at the Superbowl. Anyone who disagrees is simply wrong.

UK Prime Minister, Kier Starmer, faces pressure and possible job loss because of historic unpopularity, and for employee who was heavily associated with Jeffrey Epstein.

65% of albertans set to vote to stay in Canada, with only 8 per cent strongly in favour of leaving.

600 RCMP officers faced gender based violence disciplinary charges since 2014. Many of them still have jobs.

Conditions at federal office buildings “horrendous” PSAC boss says.

Trump threatens to block new bridge between Windsor and Detroit built by Canada.

Many Federal employees terminated and suspended in 2600 cases of misconduct and wrongdoing in 2025.

BC Premier, David Eby, says austerity measures are coming in 2026. The province faces an 11 billion dollar deficit. Eby’s predecessor, john horgan, had many surpluses in the province without cutting jobs– but instead by raising taxes and places tax burdens on employees. Eby has moved the NDP in British Columbia to the right of center, and refuses to raise taxes while mismanaging the province’s finances.

Elizabeth Lemay had a radio column for Radio Canada that critiqued misogyny. Due to harassment by online extremists, Radio Canada removed her segment from socials instead of defending her.

Chrstine Fréchette promises to institute a grandfather clause for those affected by the cancellation of the Programme Experience Quebecoise if she wins.

The American House of Representatives blocks tariffs against Canada, including 6 Republicans. Surprisingly few considering the past year.

The Liberal Party of Canada is set to win a majority in almost every poll in the country. It seems less likely every day that they will go into an election.

The Epstein files continue ravaging Trump, although no one in the United States has faced consequences about it. People are facing consequences globally though, including in Canada.

Protestors at GARDA world security headquarters were violently beaten on friday, with the SPVM more violent than usual. Extreme amounts of tear gas and pepper spray were used, with a journalist, william wilson, being assaulted and having his lens cap broken.

TOP HEADLINES/DISCUSSIONS

The Election in Terrebonne, where a Bloc Quebecois candidate lost by one vote, has been annulled because of problems with the mail in system. One vote that was sent by mail was mislabeled, and because of that, it wasn’t counted. There will be a new byelection held in the next six months.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada announces an audit of bike lanes in Montreal, and promises no more orange cones downtown

Charles Milliard wins Quebec Liberal Leadership

9 dead after shooting in Tumbler Ridge, BC

Welcome back to the best political show in history. This week was a slow news week, but nonetheless we talk about everything that happened this week, both nationally and internationally.

This week the top topics are the olympics, which Gabrielle and I are hyped about, as well as the trial on the west coast for Amber Bracken who was arrested by the RCMP who were impeding upon her reporting. She seems poised to win the trial, but the results of it, whether positive or negative, will radically transform the state of indie news in Canada. Reporters are being arrested, whether Oona Barrett, Savanna Craig, or people like me— getting beaten up and pepper sprayed by the police (please see this video:

We are hopeful that this works out, and we’re thankful that the Narwhal pursued this, and is fighting for the independence of the press everywhere.

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Here is every top headline this week:

Trump says that the US should “nationalise” elections, and his former advisor, steve bannon,

400 members of the RCMP are accused of misconduct, leading to at least 20 dismissals and many resignations.

Twitter offices in France raided for the child abuse images and deepfake porn.

Parasite found in the drinking water of Kashechewan first nation. Health care workers and locals are evacuating.

Liberal Party of Canada is well within majority polling in every major pollster.

Jamil Javani travelled to the states “to negotiate free trade with the president” against the wishes of the liberals, against the wishes of the conservatives, and in an obvious bid to get media attention as he seems to be setting himself up for a future conservative leader run.

Israel strikes gaza killing 19 women and children

Canada and France first countries to establish diplomatic presence in Greenland, other than Nato and security bases by the USA.

The police in Quebec arrested a ton of gang members this week including people linked to the hells angels

A kilo of cocaine in montreal is suffering from rising prices due to inflation, costing two times more than it used to.

Toronto police officers charged in organized crime and corruption probe.

New Carney automotive strategy has been released. It’s pretty good! Go read about it.

The Olympics begin with a bang! Everyone booed the americans and Israel. For obvious reasons.

A court case is going on in Vancouver for the future of democracy. Will Amber Bracken, arrested for doing her job, be vindicated and win against the RCMP? This could set the future of press freedom in Canada

Another beautiful week begins. Luckily we got a break from being invaded this week, and instead we can talk about what really matters: Who’s to blame for all of this nonsense? All of us are a little sick of the chaos, and the sharp turn to the write globally.

Well, a weak media without hard fact finding and an interest in pushing against power can lead to these places. Gab, an expert in media analysis weighs in with her expert opinions. Isaac listens and asks questions, and throws in some useless opinions of their own.

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Here are all the top headlines from last week:

Donald Trump is threatening Canada with 100% tariffs if we “make a trade deal with China.” Canada responded by saying we have no “free trade deal” that we’re making with them.

Trump then went on to say that it would be too bad if China took us over, seeing as we’re economically reliant on them. Trump failed to see the irony.

Food bank Canada CEO presses Ottawa for action amid record high levels of food bank use. More than two million people across Canada are using the food bank per month.

The Canadian Federal government responded by announcing an adjustment to the GST returns for the next five years, a program that will provide 12 million people with 100 dollars more per year, and a family of four with 300 more per year. Most people’s grocery budgets are in excess of 200-300 per person, per month.

ICE ads in the United States are openly using far right, neo nazi slogans in their recruitment ads, reports the CBC.

All the major news of the week right here—tell your friends.

Venezuela’s new president Delcy Rodriguez said that she has had enough of Donald Trump’s orders, bringing the total time of US control of Venezuala to be a little under a month.

The US has stationed a large, war ready army next to Iran. Things may escalate quickly, as threats from both Trump and Iran become more dangerous by the day. Trump was elected on a platform of being the “peace president” but instead he has bombed ten countries, the most of any other US leader. He now wants to increase US military budgets to 1.5 trillion.

Over three million Epstein files were released. It seems that Epstein was allowed to enter Canada after his first pedophelia conviction.

After a statement by the Alberta Premier that she wanted to have more power to instruct judges how to perform their duties, a judge clapped back saying that the independence of the judiciary ensures democracy.

More than a thousand people were fired by GM cuts at their Oshawa plant.

Montreal city workers disrupted the budget meeting in the hotel de ville. They have a 24 hour strike planned for wednesday, which is likely to escalate.

A shooting occurred in Mistissini, a northern Quebec cree community. There were 2 victims shot dead in their vehicle.

Garda world, who signed a contract for 138 million dollars with ICE to help them maintain and create detention centres, has more than 3 billion dollars in contracts with the federal government. As of right now, only one MP has spoken about this, Heather McPherson, who has called for contracts to be ended, and ICE to be expelled from Canada.

The most recent numbers we found, the article is on On the Trail, is that 1300 ice agents operate freely in Canada. It is likely to have gone up. Ice agents are not allowed to arrest people in Canada, but work closely with law enforcement.

Jim Pattison, one of Canada’s richest billionaires looked like he was going to sell a warehouse to ICE for several million dollars. Massive pressure from the public and the media made him decide not to.

Pierre Poilievre got 87% approval at the conservative conference this weekend.

Paul St Pierre Plamondon quote: «n’y a rien de pire pour un peuple, non pas d’être esclave, mais d’être esclave en ayant un peu l’impression d’être libre»/”There’s nothing worse for a people, not to be a slave, but to be a slave and think you’re free.”

Gab forgot to wear her blazer.

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The first, and last good news. (this is a joke)

On the docket for this week:

Another execution has occurred in Minnesota. ICE has ramped up their violence against citizens, particularly in that state. The man who was killed, Alex Pretti, was a 37 year old ICU nurse. This comes two weeks after the murder of Renée Good, a mother and unarmed individual.

Carney transformed the world this week. By publicly proclaiming that Canada is gonna be alright. Then he turns around and shoots himself in the foot by telling people in Quebec that the British takeover of Quebec, and this is a direct quote, “totally rad, bro”.

Finally, the CAQ has their first contenders, and out the gate Fréchette looks to be the favourite, and a surprisingly good choice. PSPP and the PQ are full sending the idea of a referendum, which is not popular right now in the polls. This might backfire.

TOP HEADLINES

Dozens dead after train collision in Spain

The Al Jundi Brothers, two major landlords and luxury developers in Montreal, moved here after building their empire on weapons sales in Qatar.

Putin invited to join Donald Trump’s board of peace, along with several other dictators. Europeans reject their invitations, and Canada is disinvited due to our recent more aggressive stance against them.

Canada creates a model on how to confront an American invasion in Canada.

TAL announces rent increase of 3.6 per cent

Murders in Canadian cities dropped

CTV tells people that the best way to save money is to simply .. Lower their quality of life

Highest spending candidates win 70% of their ridings in Canada

Federal officials draft legislation to ban social media for children

The SPVM shoots over it’s budget by 60 million dollars

All this and more on this week’s show!

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