The Line

Cops won't cop, courts won't court, politicians won't lead


Listen Later

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 23, 2025, Matt and Jen check in on the early turbulence of the Carney era.

First up: the new cabinet. There’s a new energy minister visiting Calgary, staffing delays across the board, and yes — god help us — Marco Mendicino is still around. That’s bad news for almost everyone, but possibly justice of a sort for Mendicino himself. They also start to sketch out what could prove to be Carney’s eventual undoing. Along the way, Matt makes a rare — and oddly impassioned — defence of Justin Trudeau: no, he says, Trudeau wasn’t great. But he wasn’t as bad as some Liberals now seem desperate to believe.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

In the second segment, your hosts look ahead at the storm clouds gathering. A royal visit. A looming postal strike. And Jen has a message for the posties: doing this twice in one year might come back to bite you. Then Matt walks through Trump’s latest missile defence announcement — yes, the so-called “golden dome” — and raises a pointed question: is Canada about to join a multi-hundred-billion-dollar ballistic missile defence system? If so, is this an elbows-up or elbows-down moment? And more importantly: did anyone ask Mike Myers first?

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Innovative Medicines Canada. With a new government in place, one thing remains clear: Canada must continue to prioritize patients and healthcare innovation. Innovative Medicines Canada is focused on collaborating with all levels of government to improve access to life-saving medicines and develop a healthcare system that prioritizes patients, ignites innovation, and drives economic growth. Canada’s innovative medicines sector plays a critical role—not just in health outcomes, but in keeping us competitive on the global stage. That’s why, even during a moment of political change, Innovative Medicines Canada is staying focused on the issues that matter most to Canadians. And as Canada moves forward with national pharmacare, Innovative Medicines Canada believes it’s possible to expand access without limiting choice—by strengthening what works and fixing what doesn’t. Visit innovativemedicines.ca to learn more.

Finally, Matt and Jen turn to a grim and serious story: the brutal murder of two young Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. They discuss the how it really shouldn’t be this hard to stake out a moral position on this issue, and yet, some people sure did find a way to screw it up. From there, Matt explains how a cascading failure of institutions — police, courts, politics — has created a dangerous void in Canada. And, tragically, the people being failed first and hardest are Canadian Jews.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, or find us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. If you’re enjoying the show, share it with a friend, post about it online, or yell it at the mail carrier before they go on strike. We’ll take it.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The LineBy Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson

  • 3.7
  • 3.7
  • 3.7
  • 3.7
  • 3.7

3.7

6 ratings


More shows like The Line

View all
The House by CBC

The House

83 Listeners

CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos Podcast by CTV News

CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos Podcast

43 Listeners

The Herle Burly by Air Quotes Media

The Herle Burly

59 Listeners

At Issue by CBC

At Issue

130 Listeners

The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge by Manscorp Media Services

The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge

251 Listeners

West of Centre by CBC

West of Centre

27 Listeners

The Strategists by Stephen Carter, Corey Hogan, Zain Velji

The Strategists

22 Listeners

Full Comment by Postmedia

Full Comment

32 Listeners

The Writ Podcast by Éric Grenier

The Writ Podcast

8 Listeners

Curse of Politics by Air Quotes Media

Curse of Politics

50 Listeners

Hub Podcasts by Hub Media Canada

Hub Podcasts

45 Listeners

It's Political with Althia Raj by Toronto Star

It's Political with Althia Raj

16 Listeners

The Paul Wells Show by Antica Productions

The Paul Wells Show

21 Listeners

The Numbers by Éric Grenier and Philippe J. Fournier

The Numbers

9 Listeners

Hotel Pacifico by Air Quotes Media

Hotel Pacifico

6 Listeners