The Line Podcast

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 25, 2025, Matt and Jen take stock of the final days of the election campaign — and of Canada’s increasingly bizarre political mood.

Matt kicks things off by previewing his upcoming final column before election day. He spoils it a little, of course. His basic argument? The Liberal pitch to voters rests on one of two assumptions: either Mark Carney is a once-in-a-generation political superweapon, or Justin Trudeau was uniquely, almost historically bad. Matt doesn’t buy the latter. And even if you accept it, he asks, what does it say about a party that enabled Trudeau for so long? The case for Carney, in the end, is also the case against Carney’s party.

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.

Then Jen takes the mic to preview her own final column — and she isn’t pulling any punches. She lays into the Conservatives for blowing what could have been an easy win, letting grievances and resentments cloud their judgment. They also debate the state of the polls, where their interpretations diverge, and dig into the deeper generational divides shaping this election. Jen uses some, uh, vivid imagery to make her point. Matt is not impressed.

This episode is also brought to you by TikTok Canada. For the past five years, TikTok has been investing in Canada — hiring hundreds of employees for well-paying jobs in Toronto and Vancouver, and contributing over $1.4 billion in GDP to Canada's economy. However, TikTok has been ordered to shut down its Canadian operations. This will be a chilling precedent for global companies considering investing in Canada and will cost jobs in areas like software development and ad sales, which create opportunities for Canadians to work in global tech. It's in Canada's best interest to find a way forward that keeps local teams in place to support the success of Canadian creators, artists and small businesses on the platform. Whichever party forms government, it will have an opportunity to demonstrate that we're open for business, while addressing security concerns and fostering a thriving tech sector.

Facts matter. Shutting down TikTok Canada eliminates jobs and stymies investments in Canada. Let's find a solution for TikTok that makes sense for Canadians.

Finally, your hosts bat cleanup on a few lingering election issues, before zooming out to the broader picture: how American political chaos has warped our own national discourse. But there’s a twist — Jen and Matt consider the possibility that American institutions might actually be starting to reassert themselves. And if so, why Canada’s best protection against the worst of Trump might, weirdly, be Trump himself.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

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 put posters up on telephone poles sharing our website. Whatever it takes.

YouTube:

Video goes live in 30 minutes at 8:00 Eastern, 6:00 Mountain!

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 will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Jen reunites with Justin Ling to talk about the dates and the state of the campaign.

Thanks for all your support. Watch for the Anti-Panel tomorrow.

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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of On The Line, it’s a reunion! Jen Gerson podcasts once again with journalist Justin Ling for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the federal campaign — and the increasingly surreal experience of covering it.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

They start with a deep dive into media access and how different parties are managing (or dodging) scrutiny. The Liberals are tightening the screws. The Conservatives are sticking to their message. Everyone’s walking a careful line — and that’s changing the way the campaign feels on the ground.

They also touch on the recent leaders’ debate: what worked, what didn’t, and how each leader showed up. Ling has thoughts on Mark Carney’s strategy, Pierre Poilievre’s performance, and what the entire spectacle tells us about voter sentiment heading into the final stretch. The two also explore Canadian housing policy, debate stage dynamics, and the often awkward role of the Debate Commission in the new media age.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's 1833 in Penetanguishene, five years since the Métis were forced to relocate from their home on Drummond Island. Métis families had petitioned for a church. They wanted ceremony and community. With their own hands, they raised St. Ann’s — a cedar log church where baptisms, marriages, and kinship ties would bind the Métis community across the generations. But they had no priest. So, they began to write letter after letter, advocating for the Métis community. Eventually, a priest arrived, beginning to formally record long-existing relationships within the Métis community, and generations of Métis families’ stories to come. Two hundred years later, St. Ann’s Church is now built of stone, but the Métis community in Penetanguishene will never forget its humble origins, which rallied their community in the wake of their 1828 relocation.Historic Métis communities in Ontario are real. They are resilient. And they played an important part in building Canada. Learn more at OntarioMetisFacts.com.

Later in the episode, Jen is joined by Mike Colledge from Ipsos for the weekly update on the issues that are motivating the electorate as we head into the home stretch of this election. Mike looks into Ipsos's archive of data and gives Jen (and the listeners) a read on what the numbers are showing — and why tone, not just policy, might decide this election.

As always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend, post about it online, or just drop it into the group chat. You know the one.

And don’t forget: new On The Line episodes are available Tuesday mornings on audio, with the video release rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and across our social media channels (see below). If you prefer to watch, stay tuned tonight — and follow us to catch the drop.

Spotify:

Apple:

And plenty more options here.

We hope you enjoy this 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.

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: [email protected].

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Programming note: The Anti-Panel will go out on Saturday, but The Line will be taking Easter Sunday off. Watch for our next dispatch on Monday. Happy Easter, and, of course, a happy Passover as well — it’s still goin’ on, so we didn’t miss it!

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 18, 2025, Matt and Jen unpack the weirdest Canadian federal election in recent memory. The race feels like it’s tightening, there are reports of massive early turnout in the advance polls, and nobody knows what it means — which, as Matt points out, usually means something is breaking, but no one can say for sure what or in whose favour. Carney remains the presumed frontrunner, despite the fact that no one is particularly blown away by him. But given that the alternatives haven't really landed a punch ...

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.

Then it’s debate time. The format was bad — truly bad — but the moderators did their best with it. That didn’t stop social media from swallowing the whole thing in real-time hot takes and reaction clips. Blanchet probably shouldn’t have been there. Carney did fine. Singh was present, but seemed to waste his ammo on Poilievre. Speaking of the CPC leader, we think he won on points. But the bigger question is whether any of it moved a single vote.

This episode is also brought to you by TikTok Canada. For the past five years, TikTok has been investing in Canada — hiring hundreds of employees for well-paying jobs in Toronto and Vancouver, and contributing over $1.4 billion in GDP to Canada's economy. However, TikTok has been ordered to shut down its Canadian operations. This will be a chilling precedent for global companies considering investing in Canada and will cost jobs in areas like software development and ad sales, which create opportunities for Canadians to work in global tech. It's in Canada's best interest to find a way forward that keeps local teams in place to support the success of Canadian creators, artists and small businesses on the platform. Whichever party forms government, it will have an opportunity to demonstrate that we're open for business, while addressing security concerns and fostering a thriving tech sector.

Facts matter. Shutting down TikTok Canada eliminates jobs and stymies investments in Canada. Let's find a solution for TikTok that makes sense for Canadians.

In the final segment, your hosts reflect on the tension just off the debate stage — including a shouting match between various factions of the media that were present. The debate commission clearly wasn't ready for something that was honestly quite foreseeable. The legacy media is still clinging to its traditional role even as that role keeps shrinking. Jen and Matt consider whether the old guard is ready to share the stage with the new independents, even (or especially) badly behaved ones. Spoiler: probably not.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

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, send it to a friend, post about it online, or shout it across a parking lot. We’ll take any help.

YouTube:

Video goes live in 30 minutes at 5:30 Eastern, 3:30 Mountain!

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 will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Matt gets an update from our friends at Ipsos, and also has a long and sometimes emotional talk with Marcus Kolga, human-rights activist and anti-corruption crusader, about what it’s like to be a target of foreign interference … and why so few of our politicians are willing to actually stand up for Canadians who are victimized by foreign regimes.

It’s inconvenient politics, you see.

Thanks for all your support. Watch for the Anti-Panel tomorrow.

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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of On The Line, Matt Gurney sits down for an unusually personal — and sometimes raw — conversation with Marcus Kolga: human rights activist, anti-corruption crusader, and a man who’s been sanctioned by both Russia and China. That wasn’t a figure of speech. He’s literally sanctioned by both regimes.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

They talk about what it’s like to become a target of foreign interference — how it happens, what it feels like, who’s behind it, and what they do. It’s not just smear campaigns and trolling. There are reputational hits, financial costs, and personal tolls. Kolga explains how the interference machine works and shares some rare good news: he’s finally getting some institutional support, and that isn't something everyone targeted can count on. But there’s a reason foreign interference rarely dominates the political conversation — both major parties would rather not talk about it. As Matt and Marcus discuss, it’s bad for the business of politics — except, of course, when you can blame the other team for doing it. Sigh.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. After years of denial and misinformation, an independent expert panel of Métis historians and knowledge holders has affirmed what we have always known: Métis communities in Ontario are real, resilient, and are connected to the Métis Nation. Just as the iconic Métis sash is woven by many threads, it was never just one thread that held Ontario’s historic Métis communities together. As the panel outlined, the national definition of Métis is woven just like the sash. It includes family and kinship connections, collective political action, shared culture like music, dancing and family values, and a shared way of life deeply connected to the lands and waters. The threads of historic Métis communities in Ontario are strong and have endured more than 200 years. To learn more, go to OntarioMetisFacts.com.

Later in the episode, Gregory Jack, senior vice president of public affairs at Ipsos, returns to the show with the latest polling and political insights. He and Matt talk about the (maybe?) narrowing race, the rising public demand for infrastructure development, and why it’s still so hard to get shovels in Canadian ground. Even with support, small but vocal opposition groups continue to slow things down. Greg also notes a darker turn in the campaign’s tone — as things tighten, the political attacks are getting nastier.

As always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend, post about it online, or just drop it into the group chat. You know the one.

And don’t forget: new On The Line episodes are available Tuesday mornings on audio, with the video release rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and across our social media channels (see below). If you prefer to watch, stay tuned tonight — and follow us to catch the drop.

Spotify:

Apple:

And plenty more options here.

We hope you enjoy this 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.

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: [email protected].

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 11, 2025, things get unexpectedly emotional right out of the gate. Jen opens with a raw reflection on the state of public discourse in Canada — how partisanship is melting brains, how the media is under attack (even if no one can quite agree on what “the media” is), and how political parties have become so addicted to campaigning that they’ve forgotten how to govern. Matt is genuinely surprised by it — they had a plan for a podcast, and Jen took it somewhere else. They talk a little bit about the state of society at large. Jen reminds Matt that he lives in a society, not alone on an island. He says he gets that, but he'd like to build a fortress on that island. He agrees with where Jen thinks things are going. He's just stopped feeling bad about it and has moved on to the doing-things-about-it stage.

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.

From there, after one of your hosts takes some time to pull herself together, Matt and Jen turn to the federal election campaign. The Conservative campaign has problems. The Liberals have different problems. And some of them are getting harder to ignore. They dig into the signs that the Liberal party is simply not taking concerns about Chinese influence in its GTA operations seriously — Carney may be a new leader, but they're certainly reading from the Trudeau playbook on that one, probably because these guys stopped being able to tell the difference between a danger alarm and a "Fuck Trudeau" flag a while ago. Matt also speculates that the party leaders are just plain tired. They need a proper meal and a good night's rest.

This episode is also brought to you by TikTok Canada. For the past five years, TikTok has been investing in Canada — hiring hundreds of employees for well-paying jobs in Toronto and Vancouver, and contributing over $1.4 billion in GDP to Canada's economy. However, TikTok has been ordered to shut down its Canadian operations. This will be a chilling precedent for global companies considering investing in Canada and will cost jobs in areas like software development and ad sales, which create opportunities for Canadians to work in global tech. It's in Canada's best interest to find a way forward that keeps local teams in place to support the success of Canadian creators, artists and small businesses on the platform. Whichever party forms government, it will have an opportunity to demonstrate that we're open for business, while addressing security concerns and fostering a thriving tech sector.Facts matter. Shutting down TikTok Canada eliminates jobs and stymies investments in Canada. Let's find a solution for TikTok that makes sense for Canadians.

In the final segment, Matt recaps a speech he attended this week from the president and CEO of TransCanada Energy. The message? That Canadians should aspire to be actual leaders in the field of energy exports, particularly to Asia, and what that would require in terms of building infrastructure ... and political goodwill. It’s a theme Matt picked up in his column this week, and he argues that the fact it feels radical to hear a CEO even say that out loud is its own kind of warning.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

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, send it to a friend, post about it, or shout it across a Tim Hortons parking lot. We’ll take it.

While we have you here, don’t miss this week’s Bullshit Bulletin! You can feel our growing irritation.

And right now, as we speak, we’re working on our third Anti-Panel. That’ll go live tomorrow. Don’t miss last week’s!

With the election underway, we’ll be using our social media accounts to reach you, and new readers/listeners/viewers. It would be a huge help if you could follow us on any platform that you use, and share our work far and wide.

Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. NOTE: We think we got C-18’d on Facebook. You might not be able to access us on Facebook or Instagram from inside Canada. Be warned!TikTok.BlueSky.LinkedIn.

New to this list: our Twitter accounts! Matt’s is here. The Line’s is here. Jen is here.

This helps. It really does. Thank you!

And now, for the podcast, find your options below.

YouTube:

Video goes live at 5:30 Eastern, 3:30 Mountain!

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 will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Jen gets an update from our friends at Ipsos, and also talks to one of the world’s foremost economists about why he’s worried, sincerely worried, that recent U.S. government changes could be about to tip the world into a literal economic depression.

Fun!

Thanks for all your support. Watch for the Anti-Panel tomorrow.

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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of On The Line, we take a look (through our fingers, which are covering our eyes) at what's happening with the markets, and whole economies, around the world.

Guess we'll be delaying retirement a few extra years, eh?

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

To unpack all that is happening, Jen Gerson speaks with Professor Barry Eichengreen. The professor is an American economist and economic historian who is the George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. And he is worried that this is the big one, an economic crisis to rival the Great Depression. He highlights the volatility in the markets, the weakening of the U.S. dollar, and the potential for long-term damage to international economic relations. The discussion also touches on the role of cryptocurrencies and the challenges faced by Canada in navigating these turbulent economic waters.

This episode is also brought to by the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's Sault Ste. Marie, 2025. In a quiet room filled with maps, parish records, and the voices of history, a story long denied is finally told. For too long, Métis communities in Ontario had been questioned, overlooked, and denied. But after reviewing more than 50,000 pages of evidence, visiting the seven historic Métis communities in Ontario, and hearing from 160 Métis Nation elders, youth, scholars, and leaders — the truth is clear. The Métis National Council’s Expert Panel report is the most comprehensive, transparent, and objective study ever conducted on Métis Nation communities in Ontario. The report rejected politically motivated misinformation. And it confirmed that the seven historic Métis communities in northern Ontario are — and have always been — part of the larger Métis Nation and meet the National Definition of Métis. For the Métis Nation of Ontario and their citizens, this report was a vindication. For more, go to OntarioMetisFacts.com.

After that, Jen is joined by Mike Colledge from Ipsos, to provide an update on what issues are driving the electorate. Mike looks inside Ipsos's vast stores of data and shares with Jen what one of the next major issues in Canada could be: social cohesion.

As always, like and subscribe at our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it far and wide. Spread the word of The Line.

Also! The Line is rolling out a new social media strategy to drive growth and engagement for its many content offerings. Please see the list below for our new social media accounts. Please follow us on any platform that you use!

Facebook x 2: (On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here). (This might only end up mattering for people outside the country — it looks like we got dinged under C-18. So thanks, Trudeau.)Instagram. (Ditto above. We’re working on it!)TikTok.BlueSky.LinkedIn.

New to this list: our Twitter accounts! Matt’s is here. The Line’s is here. Jen is here.

And one final note: we have been releasing our On The Line episodes on Tuesday mornings. It’s performed great on all audio platforms, but our video releases seem to do better in the evenings. In order to capture that sweet, sweet algorithmic juice, we’ve adjusted our strategy: On The Line is available for listening on Tuesday mornings, but the video version will roll out on YouTube and on our social media channels this evening. If you’re more into watching than listening, stay tuned for the video version tonight! And be sure to follow us on YouTube and on Twitter to get the video releases.

Spotify:

Apple:

And plenty more options here.

We hope you enjoy this 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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 4, 2025, Jen spends a lot more time talking about her internal anatomy than Matt had expected. But he more or less kept his game face on.

He thinks.

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.

They first talk about the campaign, of course. The latest and greatest there. It's been a quiet campaign. There were some candidate flameouts, which they discuss. Poilievre had some comments about female breeding windows, and they chat about that, too. They also talk about the unavoidable reaction by Canadian politicians to what's coming out of the U.S., even if it's not quite as bad as feared.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by TikTok Canada. TikTok is focused on securing its platform during the federal election, and a key part of this effort is TikTok Canada's local employees — who understand our culture, languages, and political system. Having these local employees here is clearly in Canada's interest, however, TikTok Canada has been ordered to shut down its local operations and to lay off these employees. This just doesn't make sense. The next government has an opportunity to find a solution in Canada that protects well-paying jobs and billions in economic investment — while addressing security concerns and fostering a thriving tech and creative sector. Let's find a solution for TikTok that makes sense for Canadians.

After that, your hosts move on to a comment by Mark Carney that caught Matt's attention this week. Matt doesn't disagree with the comment, per se. He certainly agrees with the idea behind it — in a changing world, Canada has to step up and do more. He's just not sure Carney realized what country he was talking about when he said what Canada is ready to actually do. We are deterred by sticks of foreign butter! Come on.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready. Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

To wrap up, Jen talks about her recent column on Alberta separatism, why she still has doubts, and Matt helpfully weighs in from Toronto to explain WHAT'S WRONG WITH ALBERTANS. Because he knows how much they love it when he does that. He just wants to remind them that they are still his second favourite province. And that ain't bad.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. As always, like and subscribe at our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you're enjoying The Line Podcast, share it with a friend, post about it online, or just yell at someone on the bus. We won’t judge.

While we have you here, don’t miss this week’s Bullshit Bulletin! It was a fun one.

And right now, as we speak, we’re working on our second Anti-Panel. That’ll go live tomorrow. Don’t miss the first one! It was a blast.

With the election underway, we’ll be using our social media accounts to reach you, and new readers/listeners/viewers. It would be a huge help if you could follow us on any platform that you use, and share our work far and wide.

Facebook x 2: (On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here). (Instagram.TikTok.Twitter.BlueSky.LinkedIn.

This helps. It really does. Thank you!

And now, for the podcast, find your options below.

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 will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Matt and guests talk about the state of the race so far. People in both major parties liked it! See? We’re bringing Canadians together.

Thanks for all your support. Watch for the Anti-Panel tomorrow.

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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of On The Line, the key issue is why the Conservative campaign is already being rocked by internal fighting — is the campaign going that badly? Our first guest tackles that issue — Stephanie Levitz joins the show from the Globe and Mail, where she is a reporter covering the campaign. Despite all the doom and gloom, the Conservatives are actually having a decent campaign — their polls have softened a bit, but they're still very competitive. What's behind the angry leaks?

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Westinghouse. Canada’s energy future is being shaped by the choices we make today. Westinghouse is 100% Canadian-owned and brings the world’s most advanced, operational Gen III+ reactor — the AP1000® — proven, safe, efficient, and ready now. It can be brought online within a decade, delivering clean, reliable power when we need it most. Canada needs energy. Westinghouse is ready.Learn more at westinghousenuclear.com/canada.

Steph and Matt talk about the CPC campaign to date, and in a lot of ways, it's a great campaign. They also talk about the campaign the CPC planned to have, and why it might be hard for Pierre Poilievre in particular to make a pivot to something closer to what the voters he needs want to hear. They also chat about the recent flood of angry complaints from inside the CPC house, and especially the very public spat between the federal Conservatives and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives — a long-simmering fight that has now spilled out into the open. And for all of that, Matt makes a small confession to Steph: he's starting to get the feeling that the CPC is maybe, just maybe, going to be able to pull off a win after all. He explains why.

This episode is also brought to you by the Mêtis Nation of Ontario. It's Moose Factory, 1890. For generations, the Métis had been the backbone of the Hudson’s Bay Company, working as trappers, traders, voyageurs, and labourers. But in Moose Factory, they did something even greater — they helped build Canada’s original economic engine — the fur trade. In the blacksmith shop, William Moore’s hammer rings as he and other Métis shipwrights form ships, sleds, and canoes to carry goods and furs across vast distances. For decades, the Hudson’s Bay Company relied on the Métis’ ingenuity, hard work, craftsmanship, and knowledge of the land. It was their work that ensured the success of the fur trade, and their skills that kept Canada’s supply lines moving. From shipbuilding to blacksmithing, the Métis of Moose Factory helped build Canada. To learn more, go to OntarioMétisFacts.com.

After Matt wraps up with Steph, Gregory Jack, senior vice president of public affairs at Ipsos, joins Matt for a quick update on the latest numbers. Most interesting is signs of a growing divide in Canada. It's not just along partisan lines, or even regional ones. It's generational — people over 55 and under 40 are living in almost totally different Canadas. And if the young people show up and vote — always a big if, but if — it could be a very surprising election day.

As always, like and subscribe at our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it far and wide. Spread the word of The Line.

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And one final note: we have been releasing our On The Line episodes on Tuesday mornings. It’s performed great on all audio platforms, but our video releases seem to do better in the evenings. In order to capture that sweet, sweet algorithmic juice, we’ve adjusted our strategy: On The Line is available for listening on Tuesday mornings, but the video version will roll out on YouTube and on our social media channels this evening. If you’re more into watching than listening, stay tuned for the video version tonight! And be sure to follow us on YouTube and on Twitter to get the video releases.

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The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

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In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on March 28, 2025, your hosts get dark. And deep. And psychological. And have a few inappropriate giggles. Matt almost gets himself cancelled and The Line shut down by quoting a bad lyric ... but stops himself just in time.

Been that kind of a week, right?

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.

They start by talking about how foreign policy continues to drive the campaign. More tariffs. A threat to the auto-sector. A phone call, at last, between Mark Carney and Donald Trump — and apparently a very civil one. This is a rare campaign — one that is truly being driven by events beyond our borders. And thus far, it's all unfolding to Mark Carney's advantage.

This episode has also been brought to you by Forestry For The Future. Forestry supports 200,000 Canadians in hundreds of communities, generating $87 billion in annual revenues and $37 billion in exports — including $29 billion to the United States. It's also key to addressing some of our biggest challenges. We need an action plan for our forest sector and its employees, one that will help build the homes we need with Canadian wood, reduce the risk of wildfires and create more family-supporting jobs right here at home. To learn more about what forestry can do for Canada, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.

After that, your hosts talk about the campaign itself. What's working well for the major parties — and both of them do have some things going for them. What's the danger they face, especially the Conservatives, who seem to be struggling to adapt to a campaign that doesn't look anything like the campaign they were expecting. And also, and they don't say this to be mean, but seriously ... where is Jagmeet Singh? Seriously. Has anyone heard from him? Is he okay? They talk at some length about why the "oppo" attacks against Carney aren't landing, and why Jen is starting to think that Poilievre's path to moral righteousness might mean ... giving up.

Oh, and Matt talks about his recurring anxiety dream ... but! It's totally relevant to the election. We swear.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Environmental 360 Solutions. Ontario's recycling system is failing local businesses and benefiting large American recyclers. Over $10 million a year is being collected from Ontario consumers in mandatory fees for tire and battery recycling but much of the work is being outsourced to American recyclers. This is starving local Ontario companies of opportunities to do that work and keep good jobs in the province. Worse, enough mandatory fees have been collected from consumers to recycle 100% of the materials, but only a fraction of this work is actually being done. Ontario’s recycling regulator is finally taking action, issuing penalties to the companies collecting the recycling fees, but in turn these companies are using these mandatory fees, paid by Ontarians to fund recycling programs, to cover the fines. The result? Ontario consumers are enriching unscrupulous industry participants and American recyclers, undermining recycling, job creation, and investment in Ontario. It’s time for real accountability in the recycling industry. To learn more, visit e360s.ca/fairrecycling.

Last but not least, your hosts talk about the intra-Canadian conservative civil war that is increasingly spilling out into the open. Like, gosh. Did you see what happened in Ontario this week?

Also! Our Bullshit Bulletin is back, and the Anti-Panel launches on Saturday. Check both of those, and all our other election coverage. Like and subscribe!

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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 will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where we introduce the members of our anti-panel. We hope you enjoyed it. More to come on Tuesday of next week.

Thanks for all your support. 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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

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As the writ drops and Canada prepares to go to the polls, The Line is proud to introduce its Anti-Panel — a politics panel, but fun. No, really. That’s possible. Each week, we’ll be publishing a new Anti-Panel in written form, but we thought we’d kick things off with something a little different: getting the whole gang On The Line. Get it?! They're on the line. Literally.

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canadian forestry supports 200,000 workers, generates $87 billion in annual revenue, and provides the products we need to build homes and drive economic growth. While trade barriers from the United States threaten jobs and investment, Canada’s own approval processes and regulations are blocking critical projects that increase our self reliance. The Canadian government has a clear opportunity to stand up for Canadian forestry at a time of growing global uncertainty. We need real action that puts Canadians first — supporting employees and their families, securing stability for our businesses, and protecting the long-term potential of our sector and its people. To learn more, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.

This episode brings together three partisan veterans to chat about the coming federal election — and the state of Canadian politics more broadly. Representing the spectrum, we have Amanda Galbraith, partner at Oyster Group, offering a Conservative perspective; Kim Wright, principal and founder at Wright Strategy, bringing the NDP angle; and Jamie Carroll, self-described “Liberal hack” and political strategist, making the case for the Red team. But this isn’t your standard Sunday-morning panel show. The Line's twist: we’re making them either compliment each other’s campaigns or provide "helpful feedback" to their own — all in the name of national unity … or at least good podcasting.

This episode is also brought to you by the Mêtis Nation of Ontario. It's the Upper Great Lakes, early 1800s. In a crowded trading post, Madeline Laframboise inspects a bundle of pelts, her keen eyes assessing their worth. Indigenous and European traders know she sets fair prices and drives a hard bargain. One of the few women to run her own trading empire, Madeline’s influence stretches across the Upper Great Lakes of what would become Ontario and northern Michigan. Madeline builds a powerful Métis network through trade, linking Métis families, voyageurs, and traders from Mackinac to Red River. As the years pass, young Métis women seek Madeline’s guidance, learning from a woman who defied expectations. Generations later, her legacy lives on in the Métis businesswomen who have become leaders, mentors, and matriarchs today. To learn more, go to OntarioMétisFacts.com.

The conversation covers a lot of ground: from the branding struggles of the Liberal Party, to the efficiency of Conservative vote targeting, to the NDP’s ongoing challenges under Jagmeet Singh. We talk about Mark Carney’s growing role on the national stage and what his potential leadership means for both the Liberals and their opponents. And yes — we even touch on Donald Trump’s shadow looming over Canadian politics, and how his influence might affect Canadian voters. We also dig into the mechanics of campaign messaging, the importance of ballot questions, and the media’s evolving role in shaping political narratives.

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Environmental 360 Solutions. Ontario's recycling system is failing local businesses and benefiting large American recyclers. Over $10 million a year is being collected from Ontario consumers in mandatory fees for tire and battery recycling but much of the work is being outsourced to American recyclers. This is starving local Ontario companies of opportunities to do that work and keep good jobs in the province. Worse, enough mandatory fees have been collected from consumers to recycle 100% of the materials, but only a fraction of this work is actually being done. Ontario’s recycling regulator is finally taking action, issuing penalties to the companies collecting the recycling fees, but in turn these companies are using these mandatory fees, paid by Ontarians to fund recycling programs, to cover the fines. The result? Ontario consumers are enriching unscrupulous industry participants and American recyclers, undermining recycling, job creation, and investment in Ontario. It’s time for real accountability in the recycling industry. Click here to learn more.

As always, like and subscribe at our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you're enjoying On The Line, share it with a friend, post about it online, or just yell at someone on the bus. We won’t judge.

Thanks for listening — and we’ll see you next week for the next installment of On The Line.

Also! The Line is rolling out a new social media strategy to drive growth and engagement for its many content offerings. Please see the list below for our new social media accounts. Please follow us on any platform that you use!

Facebook x 2: (On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here). (We need to do it this way because of C-18. So thanks, Trudeau.)Instagram.TikTok.Twitter.BlueSky.LinkedIn.

And one final note: we have been releasing our On The Line episodes on Tuesday mornings. It’s performed great on all audio platforms, but our video releases seem to do better in the evenings. So as of today, new strategy — On The Line is available for listening on Tuesday mornings, but the video version will roll out on YouTube and on our social media channels this evening. If you’re more into watching than listening, stay tuned for the video version tonight! And be sure to follow us on YouTube and on Twitter to get the video releases.

Spotify:

Apple:

And plenty more options here.

We hope you enjoy this 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.

The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: [email protected]

Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe