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The Line Podcast
Hosted by Line Editor · EN
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On The Line: In the trade war, it's Canada vs. America
1w ago00:48:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, about the increasingly tense state of Canada-U.S. trade relations.This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. We started in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Threats don’t wait for bureaucracy. They are moving faster than our institutions. Dominion is closing that gap. Speed is now the strategic capability, and Dominion Dynamics is proving you can build capability at the speed of the threat.Defend the dominion. Dominion Dynamics.Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.They discuss the ongoing negotiations around CUSMA, what could happen if the United States ultimately decides to walk away from the deal, and why Canada doesn’t have the luxury of negotiating these disputes loudly or publicly. Volpe explains the deeply integrated nature of the North American auto sector, and why a full reshoring of American automotive manufacturing would be far more disruptive — and far less realistic — than many politicians seem to believe.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.The conversation also touches on the political theatre surrounding the talks, including recent comments from Howard Lutnick suggesting that Canada “sucks” at negotiating. Gerson asks Volpe directly: is there any truth to that criticism, or are Canadians underestimating the constraints they’re operating under?It’s a practical discussion about trade, manufacturing, political leverage, and the realities of economic interdependence between Canada and the United States.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by ACDC. Canada’s defence industrial base is fragmented. Critical platforms are owned and controlled abroad. That model doesn’t work anymore.The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies is rebuilding Canada’s sovereign defence-industrial base. ACDC champions Canadian-owned, Canadian-controlled companies that design, build, sustain, and export next-generation defence systems. Change requires new processes, new policies, and new behaviour. ACDC membership is open to Canadian-controlled defence companies ready to lead that change.To join, email Info@AllianceCanada.com.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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The Line Podcast: Pipe down, separatists!
2w ago01:26:11Tap to summarizeIn the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 15, 2026, your hosts Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson start with Alberta. The new energy agreement has been signed. They think it’ll help, but only to an extent, because what’s happening in Jen’s province isn’t primarily economic. It’s cultural. And a pipeline can’t fix that.This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.Next, they talk a bizarre story where the CBC (and APTN) chose to bankroll a so-called comedy group that was trying to “satirize” prominent people from Canada’s heterodox right-wing, such as Frances Widdowson and Lindsay Shepherd. Your hosts walk you through the huge number of concerns here, but focus mostly on the CBC’s role. This is not a good look for the public broadcaster, and guess what? The people your hosts have spoken among CBC’s journalists get that. Very much so. Why didn’t their bosses see the danger?This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Defend the Dominion. Dominion Dynamics.Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.To wrap, they chat briefly about a few overlapping stories that suggest that the world has started to tune Donald Trump out. Matt wonders if that’s going to work out — how will Americans, particularly MAGA Americans, end up getting what they want: a world that doesn’t rely on American leadership, because we’ve tuned them out entirely?All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Happy Victoria Day! We’ll talk to you next week.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Matt Gurney spoke with Richard Shimooka about just how big a military Canada can afford, and Dr. Isaac Bogoch about what we know (and don’t know) about the Hanta virus outbreak.Thanks, as always, and we’ll talk to you soon. Like, subscribe and share! And enjoy the long weekend!The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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On The Line: How much military can Canada really afford?
2w ago01:12:24Tap to summarizeToday on On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for conversations about Canadian preparedness — both military and medical.This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. We started in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Threats don’t wait for bureaucracy. They are moving faster than our institutions. Dominion is closing that gap. Speed is now the strategic capability, and Dominion Dynamics is proving you can build capability at the speed of the threat.Defend the dominion. Dominion Dynamics.Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.First up is Richard Shimooka of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and The Hub for a discussion about the future of Canadian defence. What does the military actually need to rebuild itself after decades of neglect? Why will restoring real capability take the better part of a decade, even under ideal conditions? They also discuss what Canada’s defence industrial strategy needs to get right if the country is serious about rearmament, and why the costs involved may soon collide with political and fiscal reality.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.Then Matt is joined by Dr. Isaac Bogoch of Toronto General Hospital and the University Health Network for a rapid primer on Hanta virus, the recent cruise ship evacuation that drew headlines, and why evacuation isn’t the same thing as quarantine. They also reflect on the lessons of COVID, what Canada learned, what it failed to learn, and what public-health systems need to get right the next time a serious infectious disease threat emerges.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by ACDC. Canada’s defence industrial base is fragmented. Critical platforms are owned and controlled abroad. That model doesn’t work anymore.The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies is rebuilding Canada’s sovereign defence-industrial base. ACDC champions Canadian-owned, Canadian-controlled companies that design, build, sustain, and export next-generation defence systems. Change requires new processes, new policies, and new behaviour. ACDC membership is open to Canadian-controlled defence companies ready to lead that change.To join, email Info@AllianceCanada.com.All that, plus the usual On The Line conversations about risk, preparedness, and the systems Canadians rely on more than they often realize. Oh. And shotguns.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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The Line Podcast: Canada must start fixing problems, not just identifying them
3w ago00:54:04Tap to summarizeIn today’s episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 8, 2026, your hosts rush through the recording so they can hang up and go focus on what really matters — today’s UFO document dump!Kidding. But it is a short episode, because Jen Gerson is travelling this week. She’s in Ottawa, attending not one but two conferences. She reports back on the vibe from Ottawa, including her thoughts on a speech given by Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives. She notes that the man is much better at rebranding than at changing. They also discuss why Mark Carney and the Liberals are struggling to change, too — the choice of Louise Arbour as our next governor general isn’t bad, the hosts agree. Not exactly. But it is a worrying sign of what Matt identifies as path dependency — Arbour is a very old-fashioned move by a government that, at least in terms of what they’re saying, understands this country is in deep trouble, and needs to move fast to prepare for a new normal.This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.Next, your hosts chat about the latest from Alberta. Even though she’s been in Ottawa all week, Jen can’t quite escape the unfolding story about the data breach. She updates everyone on the latest. Matt also notes that he’s been asking for months where provincial NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has been. Well. Seems like we found him! Jen also offers a word of warning about believing the polls. That way, she says, only complacency lies.This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Defend the Dominion. Dominion Dynamics.Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.After that, with Jen needing to bolt back to her next conference event, Matt tells her about some funny reaction he’s been getting to a column he wrote this week for the Toronto Star. He’s a bit worried that we have normalized dysfunction in this country to a point where we are starting to see parts of it as heartwarming, not alarming — a perfect real-world example of the “orphan crushing machine” internet meme. (He explains, don’t worry.) Jen notes that she’s seeing a lot of that herself on her visit to the capital. It’s looking a little bedraggled.All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Please like, subscribe and, if you want, chip us a few bucks. Even more of our competitors are selling out and taking the federal bailouts. We reject them. It ain’t easy. Please help.(Note for video viewers: please forgive the video issues with Jen’s feed late in the third segment — we were at the mercy of hotel wifi.)YouTube:Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Jen Gerson spoke with journalist and author John Fraser about the role of the governor general, and why he is a loud and proud Canadian monarchist.Thanks, as always, and we’ll talk to you soon. Like, subscribe and share!The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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On The Line: The case for the Canadian Crown
3w ago01:06:21Tap to summarizeIn this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with author and longtime journalist John Fraser to discuss his latest book, The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada’s Highest Office. And the timing couldn’t be better — although the interview was recorded before the announcement, Prime Minister Mark Carney just named former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour to be our next governor-general. Fraser’s book is part history, part memoir, and part insider account, drawing on Fraser’s decades of experience in Canadian public life to tell the story of an institution that is often overlooked but rarely irrelevant.This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. We started in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Threats don’t wait for bureaucracy. They are moving faster than our institutions. Dominion is closing that gap. Speed is now the strategic capability, and Dominion Dynamics is proving you can build capability at the speed of the threat.Defend the dominion. Dominion Dynamics.Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.Fraser brings a mix of personal anecdotes and sharp observation to the conversation, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Canadian-born Governors General who have shaped the modern office. There’s a fair amount of gossip — some of it affectionate, some of it less so — but it’s always in service of a larger point: that the personalities who occupy Rideau Hall matter, and that the office itself has evolved in ways most Canadians haven’t fully appreciated.From there, the conversation widens into a discussion about monarchism, the role of the Crown in Canada’s constitutional system, and why the Governor General still plays a meaningful role in the country’s political life. Gerson presses Fraser on whether Canadians take the institution for granted, and whether that neglect has left them less equipped to understand how their own system of government actually functions.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.Fraser argues that Canada’s history offers a deeper reservoir of ideas and solutions than we often assume. In a political culture that tends to look outward — to the United States, to Europe, to global trends — he makes the case for looking inward, and for taking seriously the institutions that have quietly shaped the country over time.They also talk about how the Governor General’s role fits into the modern media landscape, where political leaders dominate headlines and ceremonial or constitutional roles struggle to break through. That imbalance, Fraser suggests, can distort public understanding of how power really works in Canada, and where the safeguards in the system actually lie.It’s a wide-ranging and often entertaining conversation about history, personality, and the architecture of Canadian governance — and why an office that rarely seeks attention might deserve a little more of it.This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by ACDC. Canada’s defence industrial base is fragmented. Critical platforms are owned and controlled abroad. That model doesn’t work anymore.The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies is rebuilding Canada’s sovereign defence-industrial base. ACDC champions Canadian-owned, Canadian-controlled companies that design, build, sustain, and export next-generation defence systems. Change requires new processes, new policies, and new behaviour. ACDC membership is open to Canadian-controlled defence companies ready to lead that change.To join, email Info@AllianceCanada.com.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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The Line Podcast: SCOOP: Jen blew the whistle to keep people safe. Alberta brushed her off
4w ago00:42:28Tap to summarizeIn the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 1st, 2026, your hosts flip the usual format. This time, Matt Gurney takes the interviewer’s chair and speaks with Jen Gerson about how she unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a breaking news story — as a whistleblower.This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.Rather than running through the week’s headlines, Matt asks Jen to walk listeners through how her latest column came together. You can read it at ReadTheLine.ca. Back in March, Jen was presented with information suggesting a major data breach involving sensitive government records tied to millions of Albertans. The potential consequences were severe. Individuals whose identities and locations must be kept private to protect their lives were included. Jen explains what the data was, how it was reportedly released, how it reached her, and what happened when she brought it to the authorities as an urgent matter of public safety.The response, she says, was deeply troubling. Officials did not do much of anything — and then, more alarmingly, they misled the public about what had occurred. It’s a stark and unsettling story about a serious issue, and for The Line it represents an unusual moment: being part of the story, not just covering it.This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can’t see your own territory, you can’t defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.Defend the Dominion. Dominion Dynamics. Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.So settle in, if you can, as Matt and Jen unpack this strange and disturbing situation out of Alberta — and how Jen ended up right in the middle of it.All that, and not much more, in this episode of The Line Podcast.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. Except for last Tuesday! Last Tuesday, we wrapped up our latest annual fundraiser with a YouTube livestream. Many thanks to Friend of The Line Phil for his tech help and moderation, and also to our guests: Paul Well, Scott Stinson, Supriya Dwivedi and Rob Shaw. We hope you enjoyed it! We had a great time doing it. Back to normal next Tuesday, though — another On The Line is coming your way.Thanks, all. Talk to you soon.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded. No federal subsidies, no bailouts. If you value our work, please consider supporting us by subscribing or making a donation. Donations are not subscriptions and do not unlock paywalled content, but they help keep The Line independentTo contact The Line with a general inquiry or comment, please email info@readtheline.ca. For other ways to connect with us or to follow us on social media, please see our LinkTree. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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The Line Podcast: Are Canadians too smug to survive?
Apr 2401:13:04Tap to summarizeIn the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 24th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open with a plug for their ongoing fundraiser. Day three is off to a great start, but we haven’t hit our target yet. If you can help us out, please go here. Every dollar counts. The Line accepts no bailouts and no subsidies, and competes against much larger outlets that have gladly (or even reluctantly) taken the government money. We need your help to compete. Please give what you can.Having gotten the telethon out of the way, for the rest of the segment, they run through the latest developments in the Canada–U.S. trade dispute. Jen wonders why there’s suddenly so much activity, and Matt offers a surprisingly mundane answer: we’re running out of time before the deal runs out. They assess the credibility of both sides in the negotiations and, in a move that may frustrate some listeners, also take a look at comments made by Pierre Poilievre this week. Jen suggests he’s living in a fantasy, and Matt explains what he thinks he’s doing when he attacks Mark Carney for not wanting a deal. Matt broadens the conversation to include the opposition in the United States as well, and warns that if Canada’s strategy is simply to rag the puck until the midterms, it may be time to rethink the plan. The Democrats may be more predictable, but they’re not necessarily going to be much friendlier on the trade front. Trump, and MAGA, have moved the needle on that one. Probably for a generation.Next, Jen discusses her latest column, which leads to a longer conversation about Canadian complacency and the difficulty of reforming a country that places such a high premium on avoiding hurt feelings. Matt notes that her argument aligns closely not only with his recent writing on the collapse of Canadian accountability, but also with something he wrote years ago — a piece about expectations, and how they can be a problem.They wrap up with a quick, and somewhat frustrated, update from their respective home provinces. As Matt puts it, we’re not sending our best.All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. And if you like what you heard, don’t forget to go help us hold the line.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Matt Gurney spoke with Jamie Carroll of Carroll & Co., for a conversation about the Liberal Party of Canada now that Mark Carney has secured a majority government, and Gregory Jack from Ipsos, for a quick check in on what Canadians want the PM and his new majority to stay focused on.Thanks, all. Talk to you soon.The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: lineeditor@protonmail.com Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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On The Line: Carney's got a majority. Here's how he should use it, and how he can lose it
Apr 2101:06:21Tap to summarizeToday on On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests to break down what comes next for Canada’s governing party.First up is Jamie Carroll of Carroll & Co., for a conversation about the Liberal Party of Canada now that Mark Carney has secured a majority government. What does he do with it? What are the immediate priorities, and what actually needs to happen to turn political momentum into results? Carroll explains why a slim majority can create unique challenges in managing caucus, and Matt presses him on the perennial risk of Liberal hubris — and whether Carney can avoid the mistakes that have tripped up past governments.Then Matt is joined by Gregory Jack of Ipsos to talk about what voters are actually looking for. Even in a political environment still shaped by Donald Trump and global uncertainty, the fundamentals haven’t changed: affordability remains the defining issue. Jack walks through the latest polling on what Canadians expect from the government, and where Carney will need to deliver if he wants to hold onto public support. (Check out Jack’s column in The Line, published this morning.)It’s a practical look at power, priorities, and the narrow path between political success and overreach. We hope you enjoy it and share it with all your friends — and as always, like and subscribe.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work, have already subscribed, and still worry about what will happen when the conventional media finishes collapsing, please make a donation today. Please note: a donation is not a subscription, and will not grant access to paywalled content. It’s just a way of thanking us for what we do. If you’re looking to subscribe and get full access, it’s that other blue button!The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: lineeditor@protonmail.com Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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The Line Podcast: Rookie Carney is crushing veteran Poilievre
Apr 1701:17:55Tap to summarizeIn the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 17th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson start with a bit of housecleaning. Jen’s recent trip to Montreal for the Liberal convention, along with some of the coverage that followed, has prompted a few questions, and your hosts move quickly to address them before getting into the main discussion.From there, they turn to the big story: Mark Carney now has his majority government. Matt and Jen unpack what that means and offer differing views on whether the way he secured it is ultimately a good thing. They also take aim at the Conservatives, particularly over some of the attacks on Carney’s résumé this week. At one point, Matt channels a bit of Donald Trump at his most blunt to explain the kind of Conservative he prefers: the kind that wins. He confesses to his greatest frustration here: the Liberals aren’t actually doing that well. The Conservatives ought to be able to land a shot. But they can’t. The Liberals are winning, easily. And they’ll keep winning until someone in CPC Land can come up with a plan that isn’t whining about the media.They close with a discussion of provincial politics and return to a theme from last week — Canada’s increasingly fragile accountability mechanisms. It’s not the most cheerful conversation, but for anyone curious about Matt’s next column, consider this a preview. He more or less lays out the argument on air, while also noting he wouldn’t mind writing it from somewhere warmer, with lower taxes and better health care. Hint, hint.All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Jen Gerson speaks with Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, who recently made headlines after a tense exchange with newly converted Liberal MP Michael Ma at a parliamentary committee studying the security risks of importing Chinese electric vehicles.Thanks, all. Talk to you soon.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work, have already subscribed, and still worry about what will happen when the conventional media finishes collapsing, please make a donation today. Please note: a donation is not a subscription, and will not grant access to paywalled content. It’s just a way of thanking us for what we do. If you’re looking to subscribe and get full access, it’s that other blue button!The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: lineeditor@protonmail.com Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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On The Line: Can Canada keep up with China? Can we keep it out?
Apr 1401:06:21Tap to summarizeIn this week’s On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, who recently made headlines after a tense exchange with newly converted Liberal MP Michael Ma at a parliamentary committee studying the security risks of importing Chinese electric vehicles.McCuaig-Johnston draws on decades of experience studying China and technology to explain her growing concerns about how China leverages its leading tech sector — and how that capability could be used for surveillance or influence operations in Western countries. The conversation looks at whether Canada is equipped to manage that relationship, or whether it has been too slow to recognize the risks. At this point, can we really defend ourselves, or is China in too deep?They also revisit the now-infamous committee hearing that put McCuaig-Johnston in the spotlight. What exactly happened, and what was Michael Ma thinking? It’s a pointed discussion about national security, political judgment, and how Canada is handling one of the defining geopolitical challenges of the moment.All that, in this week’s episode of On The Line. A note for video viewers: this interview was recorded while Gerson was in Montreal for the Liberal leadership convention.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 7:00 Eastern and 5:00 Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.We hope you enjoy the episode — and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work, have already subscribed, and still worry about what will happen when the conventional media finishes collapsing, please make a donation today. Please note: a donation is not a subscription, and will not grant access to paywalled content. It’s just a way of thanking us for what we do. If you’re looking to subscribe and get full access, it’s that other blue button!The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: lineeditor@protonmail.com Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe
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