The Line Podcast

In today’s episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on January 23rd, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson are finally reunited after Matt’s long absence. Matt briefly explains where he’s been (you can see his full statement here) and thanks The Line’s audience for their patience and support before the conversation turns to the biggest stories of the week. As Jen notes, it’s a perfect moment for Matt to be back. With sudden, serious talk about insurgency, warfare, geopolitical conflict, guns, emergency preparedness, and civil defence, all the subjects Matt has been nerding out about for decades have abruptly become relevant. She jokes that it would have been a shame for him to miss this moment, especially as the Canadian military has quietly been gaming out insurgency and resistance scenarios in the unlikely but no-longer-unthinkable event of a U.S. invasion. Matt, unsurprisingly, has a few thoughts.

From there, the hosts turn to Mark Carney’s speech in Davos. Jen argues it was really aimed at a European audience and may have doubled as a victory lap. Matt agrees, but adds that Washington was clearly part of the intended audience as well. Still, both hosts think the most important audience is here at home. Everyone seems to agree that major changes are coming and that major changes are needed. The open question is who is going to start proposing them, especially the ones that will be politically painful.

Finally, Matt and Jen dig into comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting Alberta wants to join the United States. Jen is skeptical. Matt, meanwhile, wonders how nice it would be if Canada had a reliable way of noticing when large amounts of foreign money were flowing into the country to influence domestic politics. It’s a pity, really, that we haven’t already spent years seriously debating foreign interference in Canadian democracy.

In any case, your hosts are happy to be back together. Enjoy all this and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check us out at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, 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 releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode with Jen Gerson talking to Chris Ragan, economics professor and founding director of McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy, about what the hell is happening down south with the Federal Reserve.

Thanks for all your support. We’ll 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: [email protected]

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The world is burning, and so we don't blame anyone for missing another piece of really bad news. Jerome Powell, the head of the U.S. federal reserve, is being threatened by criminal indictments in connection with recent testimony about an expensive office renovation. Powell has come right out and said the threats are nothing more than an attempt to put external pressure on the fed to lower the interest rates, which might temporarily goose the economy for Donald Trump heading into the midterms.

In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with economics professor and founding director of the McGill School of Public Policy Chris Ragan. They get right into the weeds, explaining who Powell is, why he matters, and what economic implications might be of a much less independent fed.

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Breaking news: Canada agrees to cut its tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products — and Ontario premier Doug Ford is positively pissed.

In this week’s show, host Jen Gerson sat down with The Line Alberta’s Rob Breakenridge to tape a live episode at the Saskatchewan Crops Forum. It was recorded in front of a live audience in Saskatoon on Wednesday, and what a topical moment to be chatting with the agriculture sector! As the pair gabbed, agriculture really was one of the top issues of the day. Mark Carney and a delegation of ministers were just setting off on what now appears to be a successful trip to thaw relations between Canada and China. Meanwhile, news that Canada will reduce its tariffs on EVs in exchange for a more favorable export market for agricultural products came as Canadian-American relations continue to fray.

Oh, and then the two Calgarians lamented the city’s ongoing water restrictions, and the city’s report outlining its failures.

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Today on On The Line, host Jen Gerson is joined by Heather Exner-Pirot, Director of Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, for a wide-ranging conversation about geopolitics, energy, and whether the sky is really falling.

Exner-Pirot does her level best to check some of Gerson’s winter blues as they work through the implications of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. It’s grim news for Venezuela, and the conversation reflects growing evidence that Washington’s actions are being driven by a mix of greed, urgency, and a remarkably thin after-plan. Every passing hour seems to underline how little thought has gone into what comes next.

But while Gerson is deeply skeptical about American competence and intentions, Exner-Pirot is far less alarmed about what this episode means for Canada — particularly for Canadian energy and resource industries. In some respects, she’s even optimistic, arguing that U.S. policy has a tendency to swing hard before snapping back toward something more pragmatic once reality intrudes. Canada, she suggests, may ultimately benefit from that correction.

Gerson isn’t convinced, and she pushes hard on whether this faith in eventual American course-correction is warranted, or simply a comforting story Canadians tell themselves. It’s a sharp, good-faith disagreement about risk, realism, and how much trust Canada can afford to place in its closest ally during a period of global instability.

As always, we’ll leave it to you to decide who’s right.

With this episode, The Line’s podcasts are back for 2026. Hope you didn’t miss us too much, and don’t miss an episode. 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.

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: [email protected]

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

In this episode of 'On The Line Podcast,' hosts Jen Gerson and Andrew Potter discuss trade, immigration, and the attempts to "Globalize the Intifada." Firstly, on the trade file, US trade rep Jamieson Greer has issued a list of grievances. The Americans are villainously committed to giving Canadians more options for eggs, chicken, and dairy. StatsCan shows a dramatic drop in immigration as the LIberals reign in a system gone pear shaped. And lastly, what do the young think "Globalize the Intifada" really means? KeywordsUS trade demands, supply-managed dairy, Canadian immigration, anti-Semitism, collective responsibility, national identity, global conflicts, multicultural society, Jen Gerson, Andrew PotterChapters00:00:00 US Trade Demands and Implications00:00:00 Immigration Policy Challenges00:00:01 Rising Anti-Semitism and Collective Responsibility

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Today On The Line, host Jen Gerson talks to Brandon Forsyth, long time book buyer at Indigo. They chat about the hottest books heading into the Christmas season which, if you're anything like us, you are absolutely not yet prepared for. He's a list of kids' books, fiction, and non-fiction for the readers in your life. 

(Note, no, we at The Line are not taking any cuts for any of the books suggested. We just like books and reading. And if your family is like ours, books are pretty much what you all give to one another anyway.) 

Books mentioned: 

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/dont-trust-fish/9780593616673.html

InvestiGators by John Patrick Green https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/investigators/9781250219954.html

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/impossible-creatures---indigo-exclusive-edition/9781774888957.html

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-poisoned-king---indigo-exclusive-edition/9781774888964.html

 

The Secret Of Secrets by Dan Brown https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-secret-of-secrets-a-novel/9780385546898.html

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/wild-dark-shore-reeses-book-club-pick-a-novel/9781250827951.html

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/heated-rivalry-now-streaming-on-crave-and-hbo-max/9781335534637.html

 

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-wealthy-barber-2025-indigo-exclusive-the-fully-updated-all-time-canadian-classic/9781068975004.html

What A Ride by Andrew Podnieks https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/what-a-ride-the-thrilling-toronto-blue-jays-of-2025/9781552673973.html

Book Of Lives by Margaret Atwood https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/book-of-lives-a-memoir-of-sorts/9780771096433.html

The Prime Ministers by JRM Stewart https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-prime-ministers-canadas-leaders-and-the-nation-they-shaped/9781998365777.html

 

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In Today's The Line Podcast, recorded Dec. 12, 2025, host Jen Gerson is joined by special guest Andrew Potter to discuss this country's culture of complacency. We were once a nation that put its engineering achievements -- such as the Syncrude oil sands on a stamp. Now, the very idea that we should strive to be a culture that builds things, grows, and prospers has been sublimated by a culture that prizes symbolic action and good intentions over good outcomes. 

They talk about the curious case of B.C. passing laws that then have an effect on laws. Seven years ago, the province implemented DRIPA, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People drafted by the U.N. -- despite concerns that the law would be used to undermine B.C.'s own legislation. The law was essentially null in force, a symbolic gesture, the province's NDP government assured at the time. Until, of course, it wasn't. Oops. 

Lastly, they discuss the future of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who just lost another MP to floor crossing. Will the leader be able to survive if the Liberals chip away at enough of the Conservative caucus to form a majority? And, perhaps more importantly, is Pierre Poilievre a winner? 

#Canada #Politics #JenGerson #AndrewPotter #PierrePoilievre #MarkCarney #Liberals #JustinTrudeau #DRIPA 

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In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs. Darrell and Matt have both just returned from the Halifax International Security Forum, where Darrell presented a major new global survey to policymakers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world. Matt and Darrell walk through the findings and what they reveal about how people are thinking about security in 2025.

The survey spans tens of thousands of respondents across dozens of countries, capturing public attitudes on personal safety, geopolitical risk, great-power tensions, cyber threats, and the fragility of the international order. Darrell explains which fears are rising, which regions are most anxious, and why public confidence in institutions continues to erode. He and Matt also discuss where the public is ahead of political leaders, where it may be misinformed, and what this means for democracies trying to navigate an increasingly unstable world.

The conversation turns to why global anxiety is becoming a kind of background condition, what the survey suggests about Canada’s place in the world, and how governments should respond when citizens see danger everywhere but trust almost no one to handle it. They also talk about the challenge Donald Trump poses to Canada — especially because he’s asked some fair questions for which we don’t have good answers.

Oh, and also — if you enjoy this, you’ll enjoy Darrell’s new book. Check it out!

New episodes of On The Line drop every Tuesday. 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.

YouTube (video goes live in 30 minutes):

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: [email protected]

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

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on December 5th, 2025, hosts Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open with the newly released U.S. foreign policy document, and they’re not exactly thrilled.

They agree it’s an accurate reflection of how the White House sees the world — uncomfortably accurate, in fact. They’ve been flagging many of these issues for months, hoping Canadians and Canadian policymakers would start paying attention. Now the White House has packaged all of it into one tidy, unsettling summary.

Some of what the document lays out is simply true, and Canadian and other allied politicians, especially on the left, have ignored those realities at their peril. Some of it is debatable, or at least worth taking seriously. And some of it is outright nuts, pulled straight from the conspiratorial anxieties of America’s far-right social media ecosystem. But whether reasonable, arguable, or deranged, it is now official White House policy — and the rest of us are going to have to learn to live with it.

From there, the conversation turns to how Canadians are, or aren’t, learning to live with it. There is still very little evidence that anyone here grasps the scale of the threat or the urgency involved. Jen introduces a new theory: Canada as a nation is increasingly resembling the federal New Democrats — and that’s not good news for anyone. She also says that at a moment we desperately need to be pulling together, we’re instead getting set to fight another series of sovereignty referendums and a fresh pipeline war. She has concerns, is all.

Oh, and also. Katy Perry!

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.

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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 Toronto writer Phoebe Maltz Bovy, who has just completed her new book The Last Straight Woman. Together, they dive headfirst into what Phoebe jokingly calls “the Discourse” — the current state of heterosexuality in a post-#MeToo, post-dating-app world.

Thanks for all your support. We’ll 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: [email protected]

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

In the latest episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with Toronto writer Phoebe Maltz Bovy, who has just completed her new book The Last Straight Woman. Together, they dive headfirst into what Phoebe jokingly calls “the Discourse” — the current state of heterosexuality in a post-#MeToo, post-dating-app world.

Jen and Phoebe dig into everything from sexual harassment and “cosplay oppression” to the growing social anxiety around age gaps, modern marriage norms, the romanticization/stigmatization (depending on who’s talking) of single motherhood, and why it has somehow become borderline embarrassing for straight women to simply be straight women. No subject is off-limits in this conversation, and Phoebe brings both sharp analysis and a sense of humour to the sometimes-chaotic landscape of contemporary gender and dating politics.

You can keep up with Phoebe Maltz Bovy’s work through her writing online and in her upcoming book The Last Straight Woman.

New episodes of On The Line drop every Tuesday. 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.

YouTube (video goes live in 30 minutes):

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: [email protected]

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