In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on First Contact Day (April 5), 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss Matt's column on former CPC leader Erin O'Toole's testimony before the Foreign Interference Commission, and a pretty nasty and revealing swipe that the PM made against O'Toole afterward. They also get into a much broader discussion about China's deep reach into many elements of Canadian society, much of which is fully legal and unremarkable ... except for how it might give many powerful people an incentive to look the other way when certain awkward questions arise. Including perhaps many people around the prime minister.

The intrepid Line-editing duo then talk about Matt's observation last week that he felt like the Liberals were starting to find their fight again. Jen has come to agree with that, but they also talk for some length about jurisdiction. A lot of what the PM is proposing isn't really in federaljurisdiction, which is easily dismissed by some ... but not by those who have any experience seeing what happens when multiple orders of Canadian government try to work together even on things that they actually happen to agree on. Jurisdiction is one of those pesky details of Canadian public policy. You know, the place where you'll find the devil!

They get caught up a bit on the state of the fighting in the Middle East, and Jen briefs Matt on why she is nervously researching red cows and Biblical prophecy.

... just listen to the podcast, okay?