In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on Aug. 1, 2025, your hosts talk about various conflicts. 

And celebrities 

... and aliens.

First, we kick things off with the latest on the trade war front. Friday was the deadline for a deal, and ... there is no deal. Matt shares why his patience with the prime minister is running thin. The conversation somehow takes a hard left into pop culture, touching on Katy Perry and Sidney Sweeney. We don't think we said anything cancelable. Probably.

From there, to something more serious: Canada has announced it will formally recognize the state of Palestine this September, assuming some pretty challenging conditions are met. Matt is unimpressed by the timing and strategy. Jen is unimpressed with Israel, full stop. They talk about regional peace, policy, and the persistent failure to find a workable path forward in the Middle East, and why Canada is responding the way it has. They do not solve the problem, alas.

We wrap with a classic Line topic: aliens! Jen previews her upcoming On The Line interview with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb. We also discuss the fast-moving object heading into the inner solar system. It’s almost certainly a rock — but it’s weird enough to warrant attention, so we’re keeping an eye on it.

This episode is also brought to you by Airbnb. If you’ve been following the pod the last few weeks, you’re familiar by now with the fact that all the Airbnbs that could be converted into long-term homes account for only 0.6 per cent of Canada’s housing stock – and Canada can’t solve a housing crisis with less than one per cent of a solution.

But did you know that 47 per cent of Airbnb hosts in Canada report that income from hosting has helped them stay in their homes?

Learn more about the critical role Airbnb plays in helping Canadians get by at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and follow us on YouTube or your favourite podcast app. New episodes drop every Friday. Don’t forget to leave a nice review, and as always, like and subscribe.

In this episode of On The Line, Matt Gurney speaks with two sharp political observers to take stock of where things stand across Canada — and how some leaders are adapting to the post-election landscape.

First up: veteran pollster and friend of the show John Wright joins Matt to look at how Canadians are feeling three months into Prime Minister Mark Carney’s post-election tenure. What do the numbers say? Why are some Canadians especially grumpy? And why haven’t the Conservatives really found their footing yet? Wright and Gurney also talk about Pierre Poilievre’s absence from the conversation, and why Ontario Premier Doug Ford seems happy to wait it all out — for now.

Then: we’re joined by Rob Shaw, a prolific British Columbia journalist and regular contributor to The Line, for a roundup of the latest from the west coast. The B.C. government has landed in hot water over a decision to deny a dying child access to medicine — and the political backlash has been swift. Meanwhile, even as concerns over public safety remain paramount, Premier David Eby keeps picking fights with Donald Trump. Is this smart politics, or just desperation? Rob breaks it down.

All that and more on On The Line. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, follow us on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to leave us a nice review. Audio drops every Tuesday morning, with video rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and our social channels. Catch it wherever you listen or watch.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on July 25, 2025, your hosts are back with three hot topics segments — and a healthy dose of concern.

Jen is increasingly worried Alberta is heading toward banana republic territory. There’s a lot of money flowing through the province right now, and much of it is funding fringe causes. One local reporter appears to be the target of amateurish surveillance, likely due to reporting that embarrassed the government. Meanwhile, separatist rhetoric is getting louder — and more detached from reality. Matt chimes in from Toronto (which Albertans love, of course) to note that while he genuinely likes Alberta, it’s still just a pretty normal Canadian province — and Albertans should understand that.

In the second segment, Jen shares a list of reasons she’s unimpressed with the United States and sees no reason to feel bad for American officials complaining about a lack of Canadian tourists. Matt agrees — and says that Ottawa should now be taking border integrity more seriously. His advice: if you’re out fishing, maybe steer clear of U.S. waters. Like, by a lot.

Finally, a serious warning: one of our loved ones was recently targeted by a scammer. Thankfully, it ended safely and no money was lost — but the experience was chilling. Be on guard, and beware: as AI voice and video tools become more sophisticated, these scams are going to get much harder to spot. We share this story as a public service announcement. Be careful out there.

This episode is also brought to you by Airbnb. Last week, we talked about how the number of Airbnbs that could be homes accounts for only 0.6 per cent of Canada's housing stock. Everyone knows that you can’t solve a crisis with less than one per cent of a solution. But did you know that Airbnbs actually play a critical role in helping Canadians navigate affordability? Seventy seven per cent of Airbnb hosts say that renting their homes helps them cover the rising cost of living.

Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and follow us on YouTube or your favourite podcast app. New episodes drop every Friday. Don’t forget to leave a nice review, and as always, like and subscribe.

For OTL this week, we have Brandon Forsyth, a book buyer at Indigo. 

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb. It’s no secret that Canada is in a housing crisis. Some think that short-term rentals such as Airbnbs are the problem. But the closer you look, the clearer it gets. Attempts to lower rents by regulating short-term rentals have failed in cities like New York City – which is experiencing record high rents a year after doing so. Canada doesn’t need more regulation; it needs more supply. And Airbnbs that could be converted into long-term homes account for only 0.6% of Canada’s housing stock. Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

In this wide-ranging conversation Jen Gerson and Forsyth chat about his recommendations for fiction and non-fiction summer reads. 

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's Sault Ste. Marie in the 1850s. The Upper Great Lakes and rivers of northern Ontario are bustling during the summers with the sound of paddles. Sault Ste. Marie, Fort William, Fort Frances. For Métis voyageurs, these were the highways of a growing trade. Summer was for moving canoes packed with salted fish and furs. Stops were made at supply depots run by Métis families. And a thriving economy was built on a network of Métis communities stretching across the Upper Great Lakes westward. These Métis routes became the arteries of Canada’s first economy. This July, while Canadians enjoy their vacations, remember the Métis who spent summers building Canada’s first economy. To learn more, visit OntarioMetisFacts.com

Then they get spicy, talking about deeper trends driving book sales in the culture. Gerson offers a host of opinions on what genres of books are good and bad, as well as whether or not Millennials have a writing voice. Strong arguments are offered on whether adults should be reading childrens' books. 

Forsyth's book recommendations: 

FICTION

SLOW HORSES by Mick Herron

MURDERBOT by Martha Wells 

KATABASIS by R.F. Kuang 

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER by Carley Fortune 

SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME by Abby Jimenez 

NON-FICTION

THE CRISIS OF CANADIAN DEMOCRACY, Andrew Coyne 

MORAL AMBITION by Rutger Bregman 

EMPIRE OF AI by Karen Hao 

CHILDREN LIKE US by Brittany Penner 

KING OF KINGS by Scott Anderson

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded July 18, 2025, your hosts tackle three big themes across Canada, the U.S., and the media world.

First up, Matt and Jen talk sovereignty — and why every time Canada tries to build domestic industrial capacity (in defence, tech, food, etc.), it seems to end in scandal or failure. Or even just massively inflated costs and huge delays. We say we want domestic capability. So why can’t we build anything without it turning into a boondoggle?

After that, we cast our eyes south. In the U.S., The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled. Jen sees it as a classic case of going broke by going woke. Matt agrees partly — but argues the real story is the end of mass culture. We also discuss this week’s Epstein revelations and why the public response feels eerily familiar to past panics and conspiracies. And they wonder if this might actually crack the MAGA movement. (They have doubts.)

And finally, more turmoil at the CBC as anchor Travis Dhanraj announces his resignation — and the corporation refuses to accept it. What’s going on inside Canada’s public broadcaster?

This episode is also brought to you by Airbnb. Last week, we talked about how the number of Airbnbs that could be homes accounts for only 0.6 per cent of Canada's housing stock. Everyone knows that you can’t solve a crisis with less than one per cent of a solution. But did you know that Airbnbs actually play a critical role in helping Canadians navigate affordability? Seventy seven per cent of Airbnb hosts say that renting their homes helps them cover the rising cost of living.

Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, follow us on YouTube or your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review.

In this episode of On The Line, two big conversations on two critical topics: housing and national security.

First up: Mike Moffatt. Mike is one of Canada’s leading housing experts. He’s a professor at Western University’s Ivey Business School, senior director at the Smart Prosperity Institute, and host of the Missing Middle podcast. Matt talks to Mike about the state of Canada’s housing market, why prices are crashing in Toronto and Vancouver, and why that’s both a good and a bad sign. They cover policy, affordability, investor behaviour, and what governments are still getting wrong — and right — about how to fix it.

Our next guest is Glenn Cowan. Glenn is a venture capitalist, a former special operations officer, and the founder of ONE9 — a firm investing in dual-use technologies that serve both national security and commercial markets. Glenn joins the show to talk about Canada’s defence industrial base, why doing national security innovation in this country is so hard, and what the future of warfare looks like. He shares lessons from his experience in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa — and explains why Canada needs to be far more serious about the technologies and partnerships that will shape the next generation of global conflict.

As Canadians take time to relax, remember: the Métis helped build this country under the July sun. To learn more, visit OntarioMetisFacts.com.

All that and more on On The Line. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, follow us on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to leave us a nice review. Audio drops every Tuesday morning, with video rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and our social channels. Catch it wherever you listen or watch.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on July 11, 2025,  your hosts are back together! Matt returns from Europe and Jen gets him caught up. First up: a full debrief on this year’s Calgary Stampede. Matt wants to talk breakfast, but Jen wants to talk vibes — and this year, the CPC was a much quieter, more cautious presence than last. Poilievre showed up and got the applause you'd expect from a friendly crowd, but even some Conservatives are starting to quietly admit … Carney’s off to a strong start.

Next, Matt shares what actually made news in Europe: a bit about Trump, some sad headlines out of Texas, but very little from Canada. The biggest political storyline back home? The NDP is hunting for a new leader, and neither Matt nor Jen can think of anyone likely to win.  

To wrap up, Matt offers a few unsentimental takeaways from his European trip. No postcard clichés, just a growing unease: even cities with reputations for being gritty are starting to look better — cleaner, safer, more orderly — than some of Canada’s big cities. Are we losing ground without realizing it? Would Canadians ever accept it even if we were?

Oh. And. This is a bit of an aside. But. We discuss why Elizabeth May should not be given a gun. All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca.

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb. 

Everyone agrees that Canada needs to take real action to tackle the housing crisis, but only a few people argue that short-term rentals like Airbnb are part of that solution. Countless experts have argued that short term rental regulation is nothing more than a distraction, with the Harvard Business Review recently saying that “Put simply, restricting Airbnb is not going to be an effective tool for solving the housing-affordability problems.” This makes sense when you consider two key statistics: Canada needs 5.8 million homes to reach affordability by 2030, and Airbnb’s account for only 0.6% of Canada’s overall housing stock. The closer you look the clearer it gets that Canada needs bold action that addresses the entire housing market, not just 0.6% of it. Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

In this week's On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks to journalist and author Paul Palango, whose recent book, Anatomy of a Cover Up, lists shocking allegations about the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre. 

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. 

It's Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 1849. Before court cases and commissions, before Canada was Canada, Métis communities in the Upper Great Lakes wrote petitions. Métis men signed their names beneath a statement to the Crown. They wrote to protect their rights, and their identity. They wrote because they would not be ignored. They were hunters, trappers, fishermen, voyageurs, and War of 1812 veterans. Like their cousins in Red River, who’d petition and resist inthe decades that followed, the Métis in the Upper Great Lakes knew how to use the tools of diplomacy.

To the West, in Batoche, St. Albert, and the Red River, Métis leaders like Louis Riel also wrote to be heard. They too signed their names with pride and called on governments to honour promises. This was how the Métis asserted themselves, again and again, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rockies.

The Métis built Canada’s first economy, and willand never stop reminding the Crown of its promises.
Learn more at OntarioMétisFacts.com.

During the worst shooting in Canadian history, 22 people were killed in two separate shooting sprees by Gabriel Wortman. Palango has written two books on the subject, and alleges that not only was Wortman likely an informant or agent of the RCMP, but also that the police force acted improperly to prevent crucial details about the shooting from coming to light. 

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded very early on June 19, your hosts are making the best of a classic summer situation: we're both gone. Jen is off-grid somewhere. Matt is unplugging on another continent. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging — so we figured we’d get ahead of it.

How do we do that when we can’t talk about the news of the day?

We don’t even try!

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.

That’s right. Unlike our usual episodes, which we record as close as possible to release, this one was done early. We used the time to go back to a fan-favourite format: answering your questions. These all came from our paid subscribers at ReadTheLine.ca. As always, the questions were great — well, except for some of the crazy ones, which we're just going to politely ignore. (But seriously?) As always, we couldn’t get to all of them. But we got through a lot. Including, as video viewers will notice, a power outage. Sigh.

But let's stay focused on the questions. We talk about our careers. The future of The Line, and its origin story. The state of Canadian journalism, and what can and can't be done about it. Canadian politics, American politics, geopolitics. We field some questions that are lighthearted. Others that are deeply personal. Some answers are thoughtful. Some are silly. One or two may result in regret.

But overall, it was fun. Thanks for taking part in this. 

Programming note: The Line Podcast and On The Line will be off next week. No episodes on July 1 or July 4. But back after that. And we will be releasing some content at ReadTheLine.ca this week — something new and fun. (Actually fun.) So be sure to subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and never miss an update.

See you soon, though. And take good care.

This episode of On The Line was recorded in advance, as Matt Gurney is away on summer vacation. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging — so we’ve got two long-form conversations this week that are well worth your time.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. For generations, Métis communities in Ontario helped build Canada’s first great economy — the fur trade. They farmed, traded, raised families, and fought for their rights.

In 1993, they founded the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) to protect their future. In 2003, the Supreme Court affirmed their rights. In 2023, Canada recognized the MNO as the Métis Government in Ontario. Now, with a newly elected federal government, it’s time to move forward.

The MNO is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to advance the government-to-government relationship; resolve outstanding historic Métis claims; improve access to health care, mental health, and addictions services; and invest in Métis housing, education, and infrastructure. Generations of leadership brought us here. It’s time to get it done. Learn more at OntarioMetisFacts.com.

In the first segment, Matt catches up with his old National Post colleague Tristin Hopper, now the author of Don’t Be Canada: How One Country Did Everything Wrong All At Once. They talk about what prompted the book, the reporting moments that pushed him over the edge, and how quickly the world’s view of Canada has shifted. Some readers saw it as a welcome dose of honesty. Others, as a betrayal. Matt gets it — he's had exactly the same reactions whenever he's noted things like "Maybe we shouldn't have so much trash on the sidewalks." 

In the second segment, Matt speaks with Mitch Case of the Métis Nation of Ontario about Indigenous rights, especially around resource development. What does “consultation and accommodation” actually mean on the ground? Why do Canadians and Americans keep getting it wrong? Mitch also reflects on the differences between how each country understands (or doesn't understand) its own history — and the frustrations that follow for Indigenous peoples.

Full disclosure: The MNO is an advertising partner for The Line, including for this episode. But this segment is not sponsored content — it was produced through The Line's normal editorial processes, and the MNO did not receive (or ever seek) any special treatment or consideration, and exercised no editorial control over the interview or its contents. They really just were the right people to talk to for this segment! 

As always, On The Line drops Tuesday mornings on audio, with video Tuesday evenings on YouTube and our social channels. Like, subscribe, and share — especially across the parking lot.

Thanks for listening. And a programming note: next Tuesday will be Canada Day, a stat holiday, so there will be no episode that week. We'll be back as normal the week after that. Talk to you soon!