The Line Podcast

Important correction: During this episode, Line editor Gurney utterly brain cramped and repeatedly referred to Jeff Simpson when he meant Lawrence Martin. No excuses. Just a mortifying flub. Mea culpa.In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 2, 2024, your hosts Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney discuss Jen's column this week, but they also discuss the broader problem with Canadian governance these days: disasters aren't to be learned from, they're to be blamed on someone or something else. There are undoubtedly things we should learn from the recent devastation of Jasper. We should learn them before something terrible happens to Banff, just to cite one example. But will we? Of course not. The fire in Jasper, like everything else, is just an opportunity for us all to convince ourselves that we're perfect and the other bastards are to blame again.They also discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, and wonder if something even more awful will have happened by the time anyone actually ends up listening to it. They also make a heartfelt appeal to Canadians, in response to the latest wave of awful antisemitism: maybe don't firebomb and deface Jewish sites? Like, you know, just ... don't? It's not helping! Just a thought!They wrap up with a chat about the latest media news. Matt is less than impressed with a column he read recently, though he thinks we should put it into a museum as a perfect example of how selfish, petty and petulant many Canadians remain. We are, he says, a very spoiled and childish country. They also talk about a new report on the first year for the Canadian media since the Online News Act passed. It hasn't gone great!All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Take care, and as always, like, subscribe, share, and all that fun stuff. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 July 19, 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson try and wrap up their thoughts on Quite The Week! in U.S. politics. Your Line editors are not Americans, and generally leave American political analysis to those who actually live in that country. But we can't avoid the events in the U.S. They're too big and too important. So, as a compromise, they tried to mostly stay on the topic of what Quite The Week! in the U.S. will mean for us. They also talk about Biden, his options, and why there is literally no position The Line can take on Trump that will please everyone. It's just too hot a topic.They then move on, back to the relative safety of Canadian politics, and note that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a move to (politically!) kneecap Mark Carney. They think that's shrewd, but they also think that that confirms what they've suspected: Trudeau won't go unless he's forced out. Also: best wishes to Seamus O'Regan. To wrap up: a cyber catastrophe and the warning we won't heed, Toronto floods and we won't learn from that either, and Matt has to remind Albertans that he loves them (because he's about to say something that will piss them off). But, for her part, Jen agrees.All that, and more, in this episode of The Line Podcast.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Take care, and as always, like, subscribe, share, and all that fun stuff. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 July 12, 2024, Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney discuss the likely fate of Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance. For those who remember what happened to her predecessor, Bill Morneau, a certain news story in the Globe this week — wherein sources close to the PMO said they're getting fed up with Freeland's terrible communication skills — suggests that bad things are headed the deputy PM's way. Your hosts talk it out — if she does lose her gig at Finance, does she go entirely out of cabinet? Take a different portfolio? Does she quit? Is this deliberate leaking to spook her into quitting, or a genuine leak from chatty insiders? Also, as Gurney notes, if the PMO is mad at her for being a bad communicator, they should blame themselves. She's always been a bad communicator. If they're just noticing that now, that's their fault. 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 also talk about this week's NATO summit. Gurney recaps his column, published in The Line on Friday, and they also chat about what Trudeau has gotten right on defence. He has gotten things right! But he's also demanding full credit for a promise that, to be blunt, simply isn't very credible, and he's also taking swipes at NATO's two-per-cent target itself. Which is weird .... since he committed his government to it! No one is asking Justin Trudeau to do anything that Justin Trudeau hasn't pledged to do, and Justin Trudeau is apparently unhappy about that. That's something we should reflect on. That's something the PM should reflect on. They wrap up the episode by talking about some of the other stories that crossed their desk this week. Shocking revelations about the personal life of Canadian literacy icon Alice Munro are forcing a necessary reevaluation of her legacy. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre received a less-than-friendly reception when he spoke at a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations; your hosts get into that a bit as well. And lastly, the political fate of Joe Biden might already be sealed, and there isn't much that the Democrats can do about it ... probably. YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Take care, and as always, like, subscribe, share, and all that fun stuff. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Hello, The Line Podcast listeners/viewers. We hope you had a great Canada Day weekend and that this podcast, recorded on July 5th, 2024, will help you start this weekend off 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.Your hosts, including one in a fancy new (and almost finished!) summer-time studio, start by talking about the coup-that-wasn't. Last week, in our last episode before the break, we told you about the rumours and speculation about the future of Liberal leader (and prime minister) Justin Trudeau. Well, a week has passed, and the coup (if that's what it was) hasn't come to anything. Never say never — there will be other byelections and Lord knows what other political curveballs might be tossed the PM's way. But having survived this, and with not much time left to even install another Liberal leader even if the party wanted to, The Line suspects that, for better or worse, PMJT will lead his party into the next election.(But we also talk about a few scenarios where he won't! Just to cover the bases/our butts.)We also cover off a few quick bases. Canada has named a new top soldier, Lt. Gen. Jennie Carignan, who will be promoted to full general and become the first woman to hold the job in just under two weeks. We wish her every success in the role, and offer our thanks to the outgoing Gen. Wayne Eyre as he begins his retirement. We also note that the LCBO is on strike in Ontario, and Matt has some tips on where you can still find something to slack your thirst, if you're so motivated. Jen comments on how drinking is better in Alberta ... including now, yay!, potable water in Calgary, where the situation is improving on the water front. But they mostly talk about the Stampede: why it's awesome, why bigger cities can't pull something like that off, and why the PM cancelled his annual visit this time.Finally, Matt talks about the reaction to his last column. It was ... revealing.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Take care, and as always, like, subscribe, share, and all that fun stuff. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson thank the listeners, viewers and sponsors for the new equipment that they're using, which will hopefully punch this podcast up to ever-greater heights. (Once they figure out how to use it!) They also talk about the byelection in St. Paul's. Jen doesn't think the Liberals have enough time to replace Justin Trudeau. Matt says he should feel honour-bound to remain and absorb a defeat, leaving the Liberals better off to fight the next election. They both enjoyed a news report from Justin Ling in the Toronto Star. Note to federal cabinet ministers: don't have sensitive conversations in public places, because a reporter might literally be sitting next to you listening to everything.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.caThey also discuss what they call "cabinet ministers behaving badly." Chrystia Freeland had some weird comments about the byelection, or more specifically the electorate, and Harjit Sajjan is in hot water again. And this time, accusing critics of racism ain't gonna cut it. (It stopped cutting it a while ago, come to think of it.)They also briefly discuss Matt's latest column, which went live on Friday. Check it out!YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.As a programming note: no written dispatch this weekend, but columns to come next week. Happy Canada Day, everyone! Take care, and as always, like, subscribe, share, and all that fun stuff. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 June 21st, 2024, Matt is delighted to see Jen back at home in Calgary, where she is bathed in glorious bandwidth, if not in actual running water. Jen gives us a quick update on the water situation there, including some positive signs of a fast resolution, but then your hosts launch into a chat about the end of the spring sitting of the House of Commons. Thank God. They were just embarrassing themselves and needed to get home. Matt also gets Jen caught up on the latest from the federal front, that she may have missed during her two weeks on holiday, including some polling, the latest on foreign interference (including some good news, of a kind, for Han Dong), and also the upcoming byelection. Given that Matt doesn't see any actual good-news scenario for the Liberals in St. Paul's, he wonders if he has been wrong — could this be Justin Trudeau's last summer as prime minister?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. The two then move on to chat about some federal updates that aren't specifically pegged to silly season and horserace polls. Jen talks about Bill C-59, with which she is unimpressed, noting this as a recent example of something your editors have observed before — this government is bad at governmenting. Matt then takes over to chat a bit about defence spending, and notes that Treasury Board president Anita Anand has correctly identified a problem Canada has. But her solution is very, very wrong. And it's more governmenting problems, as it turns out.Next: an update from Alberta, an update from Ontario, a promise about more B.C. coverage being on the way, and, then, a long chat about man's self-destructive nature and the grieving process of an entire society facing the death of its hopes and dreams. Which is weird, because that last bit is nominally about a possible liquor-store strike in Ontario. Things went a bit off the range on that one.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic weekend. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on June 14, 2024, Matt Gurney finds Jen Gerson at an Alternate Location, having abandoned Calgary due to the lack of water. Just kidding! Sort of. Jen is at a family event in B.C., and it looks like a beautiful place and a fun time is being had by all, but be aware! The internet connection was a problem for Jen, so this episode will have some issues, to put it mildly. Don't worry. We made the most of it with our typical Line aplomb and sense of humour. Thanks for your patience.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.The main topic for today? Traitors in the House of Commons! Or not! While Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre both continue to say as little as possible, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh have read the full report, and they've reached exactly opposite conclusions. So that's not great.Your Line editors also talk about a hilarious photo of Mark Carney, a man who would probably not pose with a Budweiser if he wasn't planning on running for high office. Jen offers a variety of salient points of analysis on matters of Canadian politics and policy. Matt talks about beer and his theory about hockey jerseys. Don't worry, it makes sense. Also, Mark Carney, if you see this, we want to make a totally sincere offer: Matt is appalled you were drinking bud and wants to put together a little care package of some decent Toronto craft brews for you. And finally: Matt mostly keeps his powder dry here because of an upcoming column he's working on, but he does note that the bizarre signs of panic among Liberals continue to accumulate, and he wonders if the theme that connects all these stories is that we might, in fact, be headed toward an earlier election than we are expecting. So great. That's something to look forward to. Right?All that, and more, in the latest The Line Podcast. Please like and subscribe, share widely, and tell all your friends.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic weekend. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 June 7, 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson find themselves in an Edmonton Airbnb they are about to be kicked out of, still basking in the warm glow of a successful Edmonton The Line Ahead panel discussion, but also grappling with very alarming news out of Ottawa. One of the committees the government tasked with investigating the threat of foreign interference in Canada has come back with an alarming report, warning of apparent traitors within Parliament. The names are inevitably going to leak, but in the meantime, both the Liberals and Conservatives, no doubt fearful of finding out that members of their own parties are implicated, have been slow to react. That isn't going to work. Canada is capable of defending itself — hell, we are willing to defend ourselves — or we aren't. And right now, we aren't confident that we'll pick the good option.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.Meanwhile, before they leave Edmonton, both Line editors exalt in the joy of being in a city with a functional municipal water system. Jen's hometown, alas, can claim no such luck. They talk about that, and also note that they've both been warning about exactly this issue — crumbling municipal infrastructure reducing our overall quality of life — for weeks. And Calgary kindly stepped up to the plate to volunteer itself as the on-the-nose example.They end with a quick discussion of interest rates — the Bank of Canada cut rates this week, which offers some relief for Canadians, but your editors suspect it's too little, too late for there to be much political benefit for the government. People are just too annoyed already. And a bunch of them have already renewed their mortgages at the higher rates.All that, and more, in the latest The Line Podcast. Please like and subscribe, share widely, and tell all your friends.YouTube:Spotify:Apple: If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic weekend. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 May 31, 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson go out of their way to really broaden their appeal, make as many friends as possible, and generally just avoid all the really icky, controversial things that are going to result in their comment section being a dumpster fire.Well, okay, maybe that's what they should have done. But we can redeem ourselves! Join us in Edmonton next week! Enjoy our wit and personal presence! Enjoy our panel of brilliant people! Enjoy food and drinks! That's coming up in just a few days! Grab your tickets now. 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. G&G start off the podcast with Matt noting three weird incidents from senior Liberals — including the most senior Liberal — over the last week. One of them is a serious issue, and they spend some time talking about both the political and policy ramifications of that. The other two are just bizarre and, frankly, hilarious. So enjoy that, but then pause the podcast and have a little cry, because these are the people running the country for at least the next 18 months.The two then, with great reluctance, dare discuss U.S. politics. Donald Trump, former president of the United States and the de facto GOP nominee for the coming election, has been convicted by a jury of New Yorkers on 34 felony counts. Your hosts talk about the trial, a bit, but more about the state of America, and also whether or not Jen should take off her shirt, and then, eventually, they agree that they'd have killed Baby Hitler.It was one of our more free-ranging segments, let's say.And then: a group of independent Canadian media outlets and journalists released a joint statement this week, decrying the government's subsidies for media. The Line, and The Line's editors, did not sign it, even though they broadly agree with it. They talk about their reasons.All that, and more, in the latest The Line Podcast. YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic weekend. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Hello, people of The Line. We recorded early again this week, as Jen is taking another trip — what a jetsetter! — so forgive us if anything wild happens between the recording date (May 23rd) and the publication date, the 24th. Speaking of dates! We're only two weeks away from our event in Edmonton and tickets are starting to move fast as we get close. There are still some left, though, so we hope you can join Jen, Matt and their kick-ass panel for a chat on Canadian fiscal resiliency in a challenging time for the world. We've got food, we've got drinks, we've got G&G, and we've got a few tickets left, so join us if you can. Info at the link below.This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.In this episode, Matt and Jen start by debating the future of Justin Trudeau. The rumours have been chaotic over the last week, cutting both ways, and your Line editors throw up their hands and admit they have no idea if he'll stay or go, but they do have a pretty good idea what it might take to get him to leave. They also discuss Mark Carney as the next possible Liberal leader. Good luck with that idea, LPC friends.From there, Matt yells a lot about how there is no rules-based international order, and suggests it would be a really good idea for us to stop acting like there was one. It's great to aspire to one. Who doesn't? But let's not confuse our aspirations with our actual reality. The actual reality is the important part.Finally, they talk a little bit about Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland's weird swipe at Pierre Poilievre in the House this week, for which she did apologize. Matt notes that it was a weird move for Freeland, and a risky one, but has a possible explanation. It fits in with the week's broader theme. Jen starts to warm to it as the podcast goes on.All that, and more, in the latest The Line Podcast. Please like and subscribe, share widely, and find out more about us at our website, ReadTheLine.ca.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic weekend. 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Hello, people of The Line! And a very happy long weekend to you all! Hail Queen Victoria!A few quick notes and then we'll get right into the latest episode of The Line Podcast. We are not publishing a written dispatch this weekend; as you'll see right at the start of the podcast, Jen is travelling. And Matt needs a few days off! So this podcast is gonna have to tide all you fantastic people over until next week. Second, we hope you'll join us in Edmonton next month! Tickets are starting to move faster so if you want to join us in Edmonton on June 6, where you'll get to hang out with Matt, Jen and their great panel, plus have some food and drinks, don't wait. Buy now!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.As for the podcast itself, Matt leads off with why he's worried that Canadian accountants have actually found a way to document Canadian decline in their actuarial tables. It's basic hierarchy of needs stuff, and we are obviously failing to do very basic government things, even while promising to do ever more complicated stuff. From there, Jen pivots to the end of the Phoenix payroll system, and suggests that it fits right in with what Matt was suggesting moments before. She also talks about the plan to establish a panel to review the future of the CBC. The panel sounds like exactly what you'd expect from a panel to review the future of the CBC. And the two editors end by discussing a very upsetting incident in Atlantic Canada where a student was assaulted at school in an apparent antisemitic incident. Police are investigating and The Line is waiting to hear the official finding, but many of our Jewish friends were very upset by this. And we don't blame them a bit.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks again for listening/watching. Like and subscribe, and have a fantastic long weekend. Talk to you soon.The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 May 10, 2024, the Line editors start with some goings-on in the GTA, after aspiring CPC candidate (and former National Post columnist) Sabrina Maddeaux this week announced that she was suspending her effort to win the nomination in a 905 riding because of what she alleges was inappropriate interference in the campaign by party officials. Jen is skeptical, and explains why, but Matt notes that whatever the merits (or lack thereof) in Sabrina's claims, this is the second CPC would-be nominee in that part of the GTA to suspend their campaign, with the first being friend of The Line Kaveh Shahrooz. Both have had critical words for the party on the way out. Maybe it's just rookie candidates being shocked by how political politics is, but there might be something here that the party should be looking at. From there, your editors stay on politics, and talk about the recent furor over the Conservatives saying that they'd be open to using the notwithstanding clause to keep dangerous criminals behind bars. This is generally fine with both Matt and Jen, who also note that the Liberal attempts to immediately spin this into a threat to gay rights and abortion aren't the brilliant idea they think it is. "The only way to protect gay marriage is to let repeat violent offenders out on bail" is a slogan the PMO might want to run by a few more focus groups, is all they're saying. G&G also note that the Liberals are smashing the "POILIEVRE WILL BAN ABORTION" panic button awfully early, and wonder if this is the last thing the Liberals will try before Trudeau decides to talk a walk in the snow (or sand, or whatever). They touch on the encampment that remains in Toronto and that didn't last long in Calgary, and also note the passing of Rex Murphy, a former colleague of both from their National Post days. They also talk about Rex's days as a broadcaster at the CBC before he was a columnist at the Globe and the Post, and muse about what will be left of the industry once Matt and Jen eventually reach the end of their lives. Journalism has already changed so much. What's next?Very uplifting stuff, we promise.Oh, and hey! You know what will lift your spirits? Hanging out with The Line and friends in Edmonton! Find out more by clicking the image below, and we hope to see you in Alberta’s capital in just under a month.For those who can only experience us vicariously, though, to never miss an episode of The Line Podcast or On The Line, our interview podcast, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Talk to you soon. And, uh, go Oilers, we guess? The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 May 3, 2024, Matt Gurney tells Jen Gerson about his visit to the encampment that has sprung up at the University of Toronto. He spends some time describing the scene, but then also goes into detail about what he saw there that he does find disturbing. The two also talk about their past experience covering other encampments, and Matt makes his recommendation: unless U of T wants a real mess on its hands, it is well advised to disperse this encampment before it becomes physically or psychologically entrenched.Your Line editors then move on to discuss the completely eye-rolling theatrics that have been coming out of Ottawa this week. Frankly, we think they’re all pretty wacko, at this point. They do talk about some of the interesting things that have happened in Ottawa, including some depressing poll numbers for the prime minister and an interesting op-ed by the opposition leader, but fundamentally, it’s clear to your Line editors that Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre really need a vacation. Far from each other. And their phones. Also, is it just us, or is the level of anger and polarization in our society having this specific consequence: political silly season seems to be coming earlier and lasting longer. Great. Just another year and a half of this to go.The Line editors then discuss frustrating comments made by Bill Blair, minister of national defence, about Canada‘s “magical” commitment to NATO. Well, gee, that’s not the best possible language, is it? (But, as Matt notes, if we take Blair literally, it actually does explain a lot.) The two editors also acknowledge that the Foreign Interference report was released while they were recording, but you’ll have to wait until the written dispatch to really find out their views on that. And, of course, they want you to join them at their upcoming event in Edmonton. They’ve been telling you about that for a couple of weeks now. They sold out the house in Calgary, and they’re trusting Edmonton not to let that other Albertan city outdo them. Find out more here, and we hope to see you in Edmonton in just over a month.And, of course, as always, like and subscribe.To never miss an episode of The Line Podcast or On The Line, our interview podcast, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Talk to you soon. Go Leafs go!The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 26, 2024, your intrepid Line editors start by announcing their upcoming event in Edmonton. The official announcement went out on Thursday, but in case you missed it, we hope you can join us in Edmonton for conversation about future-proofing Canada. Jen and Matt will both be there in Alberta’s capital, along with our great panel of experts. June 6th, friends. Mark your calendars. We hope to see you there.The duo then talk about Pierre Poilievre’s unfortunate visit this week to a protest in encampment in Atlantic Canada, populated as it was by fans of some of the weirder elements of Canada’s far-right. They kick around the possible motivations that may have explained the visit, including the one they find most likely, but also some alternative ones. They also discuss how the Liberals are having a hard time staying on message, and instead of continuing to talk about their budget, seem more inclined to chase every shiny object Poilievre tosses into their path. Could that just perhaps be deliberate on the part of the Conservative leader? They also talk about Alex Jones, so, gosh, the comments on this one will be weirder than normal. Also up for discussion today: what the convoy and the current Gaza protests have in common, and how they differ. They chat about the CBC, and some of the odd going-one there. Matt reads from the CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices, and wonders if the CBC execs have forgotten one key passage in particular. Jen gives an update from Alberta, where things remain weird. Matt reminds her that Albertans actually aren’t that conservative. They just have cowboy hats. Please note: In a statement to Postmedia’s Brian Lilley made after this podcast was recorded, and which was shared with The Line, the CBC said: “While we can confirm Travis is still the host of Canada Tonight, respectfully, we don’t share details regarding host assignments or their schedules.”All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.To never miss an episode of The Line Podcast or On The Line, our interview podcast, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! We hope you enjoyed our first-ever live recorded The Line Podcast. The event was a total success, so we’re going to keep doing them. Don’t be surprised to see us soon in a city near you!The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this first-ever live recording of The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson took over Calgary’s The Plaza Theatre on April 19, 2024 to talk about the Liberals' penultimate budget, a document filled with class angst, intergenerational resentment, and bad ideas for pension plans. Then they talk about when a doctor's note is not adequate to prevent a public shaming for allegedly scoring $20 million in government money as the ArriveCan discoveries drag on. They add a brief note on why it's not appropriate for the governor-general to host a tea party on online harms, and lastly, end with everyone’s favourite topic: an update on Israel and, now, Iran. To never miss an episode of The Line Podcast or On The Line, our interview podcast, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! We hope you enjoyed our first-ever live recorded The Line Podcast. The event was a total success, so we’re going to keep doing them. Don’t be surprised to see us soon in a city near you!The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

The Line has often spoken of the deteriorating global security situation, and what Canada must do to prepare. Much of our focus has been on defence and economics. But what about humanitarian projects? What is happening to the world's aid organizations, and the hundreds of millions of desperate people that rely on them, as conflicts rage and crises deepen across the globe?Line editor Matt Gurney has interviewed Jason Nickerson, the humanitarian representative to Canada from Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) many times across the years. Jason recently returned from a trip abroad to a sprawling refugee camp in Bangladesh, home to a million Rohingya refugees, and told Matt directly that the situation overseas was getting worse, and that not enough was being done to meet the rapidly growing demand for even basic medical care and food deliveries, and not just at that one camp. In the Middle East, Africa, Asia and now even in Europe, the demand for urgent humanitarian relief is rising fast. In the latest episode of On The Line, Jason joined Matt for an extended conversation about the work MSF does, how it does that work even in incredibly challenging situations, and also where and why those situations are getting worse. They also had a talk specifically about Canada's foreign policy and foreign aid priorities. There are crises, including the Rohingya, where Canada has played a leading role that we may be backing away from, leaving vulnerable people even more desperate.To learn more about MSF and support their work, please visit their website.On The Line is The Line’s newest podcast, featuring longer interviews by either Jen or Matt with someone who is currently in the news or able to speak to something topical (or, sometimes, simply fun and interesting). To never miss an episode of On The Line and The Line Podcast, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! We hope you enjoy the latest episode of On The Line. Stay tuned early next week for the next episode of The Line Podcast, which is being recorded live in Calgary tonight.The Line is entirely reader 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

General Wayne Eyre served for decades in the Canadian Army, including as its commander, before being promoted to Chief of the Defence Staff in 2021. During his time as Canada's top soldier, he has overseen not only a series of challenges inside the Canadian military, but also a rapid deterioration in the geopolitical environment. The world is a more dangerous place, and Gen. Eyre has been unusually outspoken in noting that Canada needs to do more to be ready for what's coming.In this conversation with The Line's Matt Gurney, the general provides his take on the state of the world today, shares his thoughts on the recently announced Defence Policy Update, and talks about why he is encouraged by some of what he is already seeing change with Canada's military readiness. On The Line is The Line’s newest podcast, featuring longer interviews by either Jen or Matt with someone who is currently in the news or able to speak to something topical (or, sometimes, simply fun and interesting). We are still getting it up to speed, but Line listeners and viewers can expect an episode weekly by next month, at the latest.To never miss an episode of On The Line, follow us on the major streaming platforms.YouTube:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! We hope you enjoy the latest episode of On The Line. Stay tuned for more!Please note: This episode was recorded before the Iranian attack on Israel. The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

How are Canada's conservatives feeling right now? Pretty good, it turns out. In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 12, 2024, Matt Gurney finds Jen Gerson in Ottawa, in the media room at the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference. (And be warned, listeners and viewers, because Jen is in the field, there's some background noise in this episode, especially when some people protesting Israel's military campaign in Gaza show up.)On the agenda for this episode: the conference itself, of course. Jen provides her sense on how the mood is among Canada's broader conservative movement. It turns out that they have also read the polls lately, and are feeling pretty good about themselves. Jen talks a little bit about her own panel on the future of media regulation, and why she was a little worried about some of what she saw in the crowd. The two editors then talk a bit about why conservatives should enjoy this conference, and maybe the next one, if there's still time before the next election. Win or lose, it'll get harder for the conservatives (and Conservatives) from here. They'll soon have all the responsibility and power. And that's where the heartbreak begins. Jen also discusses her raging hangover. Conferences, folks. They'll getcha if you're not careful. They then pivot to the ongoing Foreign Interference Commission, and Matt notes that while the Johnston report is mostly aging badly, one thing remains very true from it. Then as now, it's still very possible that the Liberals are telling the truth when they say they didn't know what China was up to. But at a certain point, that stops becoming a defence and starts becoming a confession. Matt also talks about how this government at times seems bizarrely convinced that it is some kind of a bystander, helpless to fix things that are broken. That's kind of its job!They end on discussing Matt's column this week, wherein he laments that there are women and now children, victims of (alleged!) sexual attacks, who will not ever know justice because the federal government couldn't get its butt in gear and appoint enough judges to oversee the trials. Cheerful stuff. Matt gets pretty angry.All that, and more, in this episode of The Line Podcast.Reminder: we are launching a new podcast as we speak, and hope to have episodes of On The Line being released weekly by next month, at the latest. Indeed, the next On The Line has already been recorded. Look for it early next week. Here is where to sign up so you never miss an episode:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here.Written dispatch to follow in a few days, friends. Enjoy the weekend! The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 First Contact Day (April 5), 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss Matt's column on former CPC leader Erin O'Toole's testimony before the Foreign Interference Commission, and a pretty nasty and revealing swipe that the PM made against O'Toole afterward. They also get into a much broader discussion about China's deep reach into many elements of Canadian society, much of which is fully legal and unremarkable ... except for how it might give many powerful people an incentive to look the other way when certain awkward questions arise. Including perhaps many people around the prime minister.The intrepid Line-editing duo then talk about Matt's observation last week that he felt like the Liberals were starting to find their fight again. Jen has come to agree with that, but they also talk for some length about jurisdiction. A lot of what the PM is proposing isn't really in federal jurisdiction, which is easily dismissed by some ... but not by those who have any experience seeing what happens when multiple orders of Canadian government try to work together even on things that they actually happen to agree on. Jurisdiction is one of those pesky details of Canadian public policy. You know, the place where you'll find the devil!They get caught up a bit on the state of the fighting in the Middle East, and Jen briefs Matt on why she is nervously researching red cows and Biblical prophecy.... just listen to the podcast, okay? Reminder: we are launching a new podcast as we speak, and hope to have episodes of On The Line being released weekly by next month, at the latest. Other ways to follow along with both of our podcasts:Spotify:Apple:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here.Written dispatch to follow in a few days, friends. Enjoy the weekend! The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. 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 March 29, 2024 — and happy Easter, everyone! — the dynamic Line editing duo first start by indulging Matt in some pure speculation. He has a hunch that after months of getting their butts kicked, the Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, might be starting to find their fight again. It's too soon to say for sure, but they'll be watching to see if the Liberals even have enough energy left to make a contest of it.Jen takes over then, and the two talk at length about the carbon tax, and a letter signed by many leading Canadian economists this week that lauds carbon pricing. The two don't disagree on the economics, but they do suspect that some of our leading economic thinkers may not have thought through the political ramifications of this. Does anyone think that Pierre Poilievre is worried that academic elites want the carbon tax to stay? Read the room, guys. Look around at the state of things. Are they trying to get him elected?Matt then notes a damned interesting speech by the Bank of Canada's senior deputy governor. In it, Carolyn Rogers warned a Halifax audience that Canada's economy is now in a state of "emergency." It's an interesting speech on its own merits, but what really caught Matt's attention was the simple fact that central bankers don't talk about emergencies even during literal emergencies, like plagues and wars. How freaked out must they be to talk this bluntly in prepared remarks?Jen then provides a quick update on the Nenshi campaign for Alberta NDP leader. It's starting to look like he's going to run away with it. She explains why.Also! The Line is now launching a new podcast — On The Line. It's still in a soft launch phase as the team here gets a few bugs worked out and details sorted, but however you want to receive it — on YouTube, on your preferred podcast app or at ReadTheLine.ca — please sign up today, like, subscribe, and all the rest. Never miss an episode of either of The Line's podcasts!Here is the audio of our recent On The Line, and the YouTube video is below. Other ways to follow along with both of our podcasts:Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here.Written dispatch to follow in a few days, friends. Enjoy the long weekend! The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather has been one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel on the Liberal bench. Last week's NDP motion — roundly supported by his Liberal peers — has Housefather engaging in some serious soul searching about his future with the party. Will he cross the floor? Is he representative of a deeper political realignment? Why does he think the motion was "anti-Isreal"? Housefather speaks about all of this, and more, with The Line's Jen Gerson. On The Line is The Line’s newest podcast, featuring longer interviews by either Jen or Matt with someone who is currently in the news or able to speak to something topical (or, sometimes, simply fun and interesting). We’e soft-launching it now — well, to the extent anything we’re saying in this literal sentence can be considered a soft launch — and it’ll be a regular weekly feature here, starting in the coming weeks. The Line Podcast will continue to land in your inboxes every Friday, have no fear. Never miss an episode of either On The Line or The Line Podcast by signing up for a free (or paid! paid is good!) account here. If you would rather follow us on one of the major streaming platforms, see below for some options.Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! And we hope you enjoyed the first official episode of On The Line. Stay tuned for more!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Well, hello there, fans of The Line Podcast. Matt and Jen had almost too much to talk about this week, especially because breaking (and sad) news from Kensington Palace landed as they were recording. They'll get into that nearer the end, but they start with a discussion about Matt's column this week, in which he explains why he was wrong about Pierre Poilievre's electoral chances. The conversation covers not only what Matt said in his column, but also some of what he couldn't fit in. Is Poilievre lucky, or a genius? Even senior Tories can't agree. Plus, what did months of interest rate hikes do to the millions of Canadian voters who were heavily indebted? It all combines to produce what your hosts agree is an angry, alienated Canadian population. One ready for a big change.Speaking of angry and alienated, Jen goes on to describe her fury at Calgary's latest blast of snow. True, genuine fury. She was not ready for another blizzard this week. But that conversation actually gets serious. Living with Canada's awful weather has always sucked, Matt notes, but the country has gotten so much else right that it was worth the hassle. For millions of Canadians who can't afford a house or find a family doctor, though, Canada's typical advantages are out of reach, and they're just left with the slush and the snow. How long until they start just packing up and leaving? Plus: your last chance to score a ticket to next month's live-taping of a pod episode in Calgary! Don't miss out! We're down to our last handful of tickets. Link below All that, and more, in this episode of The Line Podcast.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us!Last chance! Next month, we’re recording one of these episodes live in Calgary. We are down to our last few tickets! Click the image below to get yours!Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on March 15th, 2024, Jen explains to Matt at surprising length the latest culture war flashpoint, based around “people with vaginas.” Having to contemplate this drives Matt into wishing that he was a majestic sea creature, simply living a peaceful life below the waves. They also discuss donuts.From there, they move onto how police in Canada seem determined to lose control of the communities they are responsible for policing, and talk about how relatively new — in historical terms — our concept of policing even is, and how quickly we could lose it. Which we seem determined to do. They also talk about how wealthy communities are going to simply find a way to bypass police dysfunction by buying the extra security that they need, which, in Toronto, they are already starting to do.From there, G&G move onto former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi’s entrance to the race for NDP leader. And that leads — one could say inevitably — to discussion of Operation Desert Storm, the 1991 U.S.-led coalition ground and air offensive in the Persian Gulf region, which stove, successfully, to drive Iraqi forces out of occupied Kuwait. Don’t worry, it makes sense. Just listen. They touch on a few things, but keep coming back to donuts. Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us!And don’t forget! Next month, we’re recording one of these episodes live in Calgary. Click the image below to get your tickets!Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. 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 March 8, 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss the Durham byelection results, which Matt doesn't think matter ... but that he does find interesting (and he suspects they'll be of interest over at Liberal Party HQ, too). The intrepid editors also gab about state-capacity issues in Canada, and the blunt comments made by Bill Blair about the state of the Canadian Armed Forces. G&G also highlight the challenges of building infrastructure projects in Canada and the lack of prioritization and decision-making. Our governments seem to almost actively avoid making decisions, and instead prefer to just make tiny incremental announcements so that they always seem engaged with the issues of the day, even though they aren't trying to actually fix them.From there, they move onto the Online Harms Act and why Jen isn't reassured by what we've learned since last week. Matt suggests that we could probably go a long way toward cleaning up the internet if there was even the slightest bit of deterrence for those acting badly on it. Lastly, they react to some breaking news (and a rumour) coming out of Alberta.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us!Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line Podcast, recorded on March 1, 2024, Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney discuss evil, death and growing old. All cheerful stuff. First they offer quick thoughts and condolences on the passing of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. Then they delve into the Liberals' proposed Online Harms Act, and conclude that while most of it is reasonable and does attempt to deal with legitimate and pressing concerns — threats of violence, child pornography, “revenge porn” and the like — the Liberals have gone off the rails in their attempts to reign in "hate speech" by reviving Section 13, a loathed and rejected provision that this country had already spent years litigating, and ultimately throwing up. The Online Harms Act will further empower Human Rights Tribunals to crack down on "hate speech" with a threat of serious fines. The bill also introduces house arrest for pre-crime — it would allow authorities to impinge upon the liberties of individuals whom they believe might commit hate speech. The dynamic duo go on to discuss the latest information about the Chinese infiltration of the Winnipeg-based National Microbiology Lab, and the abuse of terms like "national security" to cover for embarrassment, folly, and failure. Then they lay into the latest drama from the ArriveCan scam — in which the federal government managed to spend $59 million on a phone app that now involves a PPC candidate and CEO who was apparently using his full-time job at the Department of National Defence as a side hustle. Amazing country, this. Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:If none of these options appeal, there are many others that you can find here, and we are sure there will be one that suits your fancy.Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Oh yes, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre — ostensible defender of limited government and freedom — is coming for your goon caves. (Google it, if you have to, but not at work.) More specifically, the CPC leader is supporting bill S-210, which seeks to age-gate porn, blocking access by minors. Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney clash on the issue; both agree that this makes for terrible, albeit emotionally popular, policy. They disagree about whether it will make for good politics. Then they go on to discuss the imminent Online Harms Act — bookies have high odds on that one being a total disaster. From there, your hosts veer to Poilievre's opposition to "biological males" in female spaces like sport leagues, washrooms and changerooms. Interestingly, the duo note, this position is not panning out to be even a two-day news story when only a few years ago, such statements would have destroyed a politician. Hey, so, that special offer we’ve created to get you to sign up? That’s expiring soon! If you like what you’re hearing here, and want to help us do more, sign up while you can.The Line then chat about Dr. Phil on Joe Rogan. Did a Canadian parliamentarian really argue that there are no "parental rights" in Canada? Is that true? They then admit to having conflicted feelings over the fall of Vice, which announced this week that it would be no more. Is this a case of "go woke, go broke?" For a final ramble, Jen Gerson gets into Alberta's moratorium on renewable energy but, frankly, we admit, the jerking-off segment of this podcast is better. So yeah. Come for the politics. Stay for the masturbation references.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Hey, what’s this? Another podcast? What gives?Never fear, Line listeners — Gurney and Gerson will be back to their usual tricks on Friday. But we’ve been meaning to roll out an additional podcast for a while — less back-and-forth banter, more us just straight-up interviewing someone with genuine expertise in something that’s hot in the news. We were going to roll this out in a more formal way in the spring, but we had a great opportunity to come up to chat with special guest Patricia Treble, Canadian royal watcher and writer at the Write Royalty Substacak. So why wait? Let’s just soft launch the new pod and sip some tea.HEY, you! Yeah, you! While you’re here! In our last dispatch, we included a special offer. The Line, like all other subscription-funded outlets, always faces some degree of monthly churn. Our leading cause of subscriber loss is actually credit-card expiries, if you can believe it. To help entice some of you back, or to maybe get you signed up in the first place, we are offering this time-limited special offer. Sign up today and keep those credit cards up to date! A small but mighty independent journalism company thanks you! In this special episode, they discuss King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, what that means for the operation of government, and when a regency could be declared. Paired with news that Catherine, Princess of Wales, underwent abdominal surgery in hospital, the newfound transparency represents a sea change for the Royal family, which has historically been far more reticent to discuss their health matters. Then Gerson and Treble dive into all things Harry and Meghan because — well — they cannot help themselves. In the wake of the King's terrible cancer news, the Sussexes’ attempt a rebrand with a new website. And Meghan announces a deal with a podcasting production firm Lemonada. Is a comeback on the make? Lastly, Netflix dropped its teaser trailer for Scoop, a movie that is set to explore the downfall of Prince Andrew thanks to his notorious relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. If you're a fan of Royal Tea, do consider joining us for a cuppa. (As always, you can find the video version on YouTube, if you prefer to watch as well as listen. If you head on over there, remember to like and subscribe!)As always, thanks for listening to our podcast! Please subscribe to us one of the apps, noted below, if you want to, or continue to listen to us here. If you do use another app, please leave us a glowing review. It helps!Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

This week's The Line Podcast, recorded on Feb. 16, 2014, sees Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson talk about federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault's bizarre statement promising no new federal funding for big new road projects. And, yes, we know that roads fall under provincial and municipal jurisdiction — as does housing, energy policy, health care, and a host of other issues in which the feds do not hesitate to involve themselves. Also, if electric vehicles aren't the answer, why are we investing billions of taxpayer dollars into subsidized EV factories, while also phasing out the sale of internal combustion engine cars, Mr. Guilbeault? Then the dynamic duo go on to discuss Gerson's bizarre testimony at the Heritage committee. We think they want the media to host a party to discuss the state of the media and to be invited — to which we say: "And who is paying the drinks tab, sir?"The NDP's Charlie Angus is proposing a new law to ban oil and gas advertising — which is making us re-think bans on tobacco advertising. Turns out, it was a slippery slope! Smoke if you get 'em?Lastly, The Line team talks about a pro-Palestinian protest that just happened to proclaim the joys of intifada in front of a historically Jewish hospital — and the resentment of being asked to ignore the evidence of our own eyes. Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please subscribe to us one of the apps, noted below, if you want to, or continue to listen to us here. If you do use another app, please leave us a glowing review. It helps!Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

We start talking about the big interview this week, agree it could have had value, but then wonder if the American provocateur still wishes he’d done it. We doubt it, but The Line's Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney talk about the goomba anyway.Then the pair discuss Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sticking to his guns by once again opposing a free trade deal with Ukraine on some dubious carbon tax pricing grounds. Is this evidence that Poilievre is in bed with Vladimir Putin? Well, probably not, argues Gerson; instead it suggests something weirder and in some ways worse.The pair also talk about Poilievre's opposition to puberty blockers, and discuss Alberta's trans policies. Apparently there are some gender affirming top surgeries happening in the province, as reported in the National Post this week. Gurney also notes that he thinks the Ottawa press types are finally starting to figure out how to interview Poilievre. He hopes to see more of that.The Line also talks about the layoffs at Bell Canada and the obligations highly protected industries like Bell ought to have to put some of their misbegotten profits into public good enterprises like journalism. But they don't, and probably won't have to. Lastly, The Line talks about Belleville, Ontario, and why Canadians are getting more and more angry listening to politicians talk about task forces and funding for problems — like opioid overdoses, discarded needles and stolen cars — that don't seem to get better.Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please subscribe to us one of the apps, noted below, if you want to, or continue to listen to us here. If you do use another app, please leave us a glowing review. It helps!Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

This week in The Line Podcast, your Line editors are forced to talk about trans issues, which they absolutely hate doing, thanks to a series of proposals made by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Smith could have simply done as Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are doing, and that would have been meat for her socially conservative base. But she went further. The proposals will certainly be popular, but Smith is no so-con — she's a libertarian, and always has been. Why has she decided that youth sports is now the business of the state? Jen has theories! Matt broadly agrees with the Liberal critique of Smith's plans, namely, that these are solutions in search of problems, offered up only to placate base voters. He just thinks that if the federal Liberals now think that that is a bad thing, no one seems to have told the PMO yet, since Liberals do exactly that all the time.And more broadly, G&G talk about how all the parties are currently being wagged by the tails of their most fringey, passionate base voters, and how this is leaving mainstream Canadians not only alone, but desperately trying to avoid getting hit in the culture-war crossfires.Moving on, much to their relief, your intrepid editors talk about the foreign interference inquiry, and politely request 144 more inquiries, because that's the only way we can ever find anything out about anything that happens in this country.They cover a few more topics in rapid-fire sequence after that, but end on a really cheerful note: if you don't have a lot of money, you might not be able to get health care soon. So ... just mull on that a bit. And don't forget to like and subscribe! Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected].. Pitch us something: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

This week in The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson chat about Tucker Carlson's visit to Alberta — or as Liberals put it, the visit of a homophobic hate monger whose presence evokes the threat of violence by MAGA far-right Conservatives. We deem all of this stupid, and expect more stupidity. So much more.Then they chat about Durham Conservative Candidate Jamil Jivani, and what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meant by calling him a "twofer" — racist dog whistle, or manipulative video editing? (It's the video editing.) Regardless, it's all stupid, too.G&G also tackle the Liberals' long-anticipated communications pivot to openly comparing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to Donald Trump. It's not going to work — and the fact that the Liberals think this is a good idea is demonstrative of just how radically out of touch they are with how angry Canadians are, and what they're struggling with. But maybe we're wrong. Lastly, Gerson rants about Calgary's dystopian hellscape punish-the-povos $.15 fee on paper drive-through bags, and Matt orders her to buy her kiddos an insane amount of fast food. For the likes.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We were surprised — and delighted — to bounce back so fast last week. Thanks for listening to us! Subscribe if you can, leave us a great review if you’re willing, and share with all your friends if you’re able. Talk soon!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

We're back! After a refreshing holiday, The Line Podcast's Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney are together again to discuss the state of play in Canadian politics. Have the Liberals under Justin Trudeau bottomed out? Why can't they seem to secure a comeback — Gerson thinks she knows: it's because everybody's broke, and the Liberals are fixated on electric vehicles, plastic bags, and carbon taxes. The Line offers a quick update on Israel, and the federal government's incoherent and constantly wavering position on the International Court of Justice: turns out, we will abide by the ruling on whether Israel is committing genocide, even though we don't agree with the premise of the case. That ... does not make sense. Matt also has a simple message for Pakistan and Iran: not now, guys.Your editors also talk Alberta politics: why did Canada's most energy-rich province almost freeze to death in the cold? And what to make of NDP leader Rachel Notley stepping down from her role. Lastly, Gerson and Gurney talk about Sabrina Maddeaux, the National Post columnist who announced her candidacy for the Conservatives. They then talk more generally about journalists who escape this wretched hive of scum and villainy to enter an even grungier Mos Eisley cantina — politics. Why does this seem to be becoming more normal, and what can you do to prevent more of it? Like and subscribe to The Line.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. It is great to be back and we are sorry we were gone so long. We meant to come back last week, but, well, listen to the pod. It explains all.The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss the UN ceasefire vote, and compare it to the previous request for ceasefire with conditions, and the Liberal government's insistence that the UN ceasefire vote wasn't a vote for Hamas because, really, what even is a ceasefire anyway? Canadian representative to the UN Bob Rae knew what was up when he issued his vote and then said, on a hot mic, "we'll see how that flies." It's all just another example of a Canadian foreign policy that has no first principles, and a UN that primarily exists to let nations blow off steam instead of actually doing things.Then G&G take on the Conservatives' weird votes against the Ukrainian trade deal, citing carbon tax language. Was this just a cock up? Or are the Conservatives pandering to the pro-Putin right in their own base? Moving on, indulge the podcast as they take you on a magical tea-filled exploration of the latest drama at independent media outlet Canadaland and its staffers, now feuding with their Jewish boss for failing to address antisemitism in his community more responsibly: ie; preferably not at all. Lastly, this will be The Line's last podcast before the holidays. Join us for a brief look back over a weird 2023, with more weirdness to come. Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We want to take a moment to thank you all for your support. This podcast is growing, and we are deeply grateful for all of your help. As always, if you want to do a bit to help, please like and/or subscribe on your preferred app, and where possible, leave a positive review. These are tiny things that add up and make a big, real and measurable difference for us. Thanks again, and keep the support coming.If you’d like to donate or subscribe to us, well, that helps too!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson talk about Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek's bizarre decision to publicly abstain from a civic menorah lighting ceremony because a poster advertising the event said it would be about "unity, supporting Israel, and Jewish Pride." Could her decision have been handled any more incompetently? No! Then G2 whine about Pierre Poilievre's penchant for stupid political stunts, as our MPs hunker down to consider the possibility of missing Christmas. Gurney lays out the political mistake Justin Trudeau ought to have gone down for; Gerson disagrees, and finds another one. Then the pair discuss the media: massive labour cuts at the CBC, and weird B-Roll errors at CTV. Also, Gurney is grumpy. But, like, come on. Shouldn’t he be? Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We want to take a moment to thank you all for your support. This podcast is growing, and we are deeply grateful for all of your help. As always, if you want to do a bit to help, please like and/or subscribe on your preferred app, and where possible, leave a positive review. These are tiny things that add up and make a big, real and measurable difference for us. Thanks again, and keep the support coming.If you’d like to donate or subscribe to us, well, that helps too!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

This week, The Line Podcast's Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney go deep. They discuss the $100 million Google deal to Canadian media — a win for Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, or an attempt to salvage a nearly existential catastrophe for Canadian journalism? Or both? You decide. Then we get into the absolute insanity of trying to justify Hamas hostage taking by parsing the emotions on the faces of hostages at the moment of release. This invariably leads into a deep philosophical discussion about how we deal with irreconcilable differences among us, and what we owe each other as citizens in a society. (Jen is a lot nicer than Matt.)Lastly, Gerson and Gurney talk about the latest Ottawa bubble stories. Was Conservative MP Rachel Thomas insulting francophones by asking a minister to respond to a question in English? (No.) What were the Conservatives thinking when they voted against a free trade deal with Ukraine? (Not much.)Lastly, show us your humanity and compassion by liking and subscribing! This is how you can tell us you won’t let us die in a ditch, either.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We want to take a moment to thank you all for your support. This podcast is growing, and we are deeply grateful for all of your help. As always, if you want to do a bit to help, please like and/or subscribe on your preferred app, and where possible, leave a positive review. These are tiny things that add up and make a big, real and measurable difference for us. Thanks again, and keep the support coming.If you’d like to donate or subscribe to us, well, that helps too!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

After offering a brief update on the hostage transfers between Hamas and Israel, The Line Podcast with Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson delves right back into parochial Canadian current events by chatting about the explosion on the Rainbow Bridge. We, too, feared terrorism at first, as did much of the media. Turns out, it was just some dude driving Dukes of Hazzard-style into the border crossing. Phew?Now the fallout; critics are piling on Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre for initially describing the incident as "terrorism" in the House. When Poilievre was challenged by a CP reporter, he took no prisoners, leading Gurney et al to remind all beloved colleagues that the Conservatives are playing against an unpopular media because it works. Speaking of which, the Liberals have decided to kill journalism with kindness; the latest economic update announced an increase to the journalism labour tax credit, ensuring that many (most?) remaining journalists in this country are subsidized in part by the federal government. That, we're sure, will fix it! As will impossible promises from the CRTC that new broadcasting regulations won't extend to podcasting. Lastly, The Line talks the fall economic update, and rants about the election of Argentinian president Javier Milei. Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We want to take a moment to thank you all for your support. This podcast is growing, and we are deeply grateful for all of your help. As always, if you want to do a bit to help, please like and/or subscribe on your preferred app, and where possible, leave a positive review. These are tiny things that add up and make a big, real and measurable difference for us. Thanks again, and keep the support coming.If you’d like to donate or subscribe to us, well, that helps too!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

The Line Podcast is back! This week, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson reluctantly go over the latest from the Israel-Hamas conflict because, good Lord, that's really all there is to talk about. Statements from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about not killing more women and children were met with rebuke by highly problematic Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Then California Governor Gavin Newsom made fun of Trudeau's weird sock fixation. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh played cute, accusing the IDF of sowing the seeds of "genocide." G&G sigh, and explain again that "genocide" is a word with a real meaning and this is not it. Lastly, our duo dig into polling numbers, and the escalation of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Toronto and Montreal; the denial of antisemitism on the left, followed by the batshit antisemitism on display by the likes of Elon Musk on the right. Everybody has gone nuts.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We want to take a moment to thank you all for your support. This podcast is growing, and we are deeply grateful for all of your help. As always, if you want to do a bit to help, please like and/or subscribe on your preferred app, and where possible, leave a positive review. These are tiny things that add up and make a big, real and measurable difference for us. Thanks again, and keep the support coming. If you’d like to donate or subscribe to us, well, that helps too!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson describe Canadian foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly's baffling and bizarre statement about getting Hamas — a genocidal death cult openly committed to exterminating the Jews in Israel — back to the bargaining table. Then they talk about the escalation of antisemitic violence and graffiti in Canada, and in Montreal in particular. Concordia University seems to be a real ground zero for anger against Israel — and Jewish students, by extension. Synagogues in Montreal have been subject to Molotov cocktails, and Jewish schools have been shot at. Gurney et al have read enough history books to have seen this all before; they know where the next act in the play goes from here and they are worried. Oh, and in the midst of all this drama, NSICOP issues a blunt report noting that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are not equipped to handle national security threats. Great!Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure.We are loving the response these podcasts are getting — truly, thank you. Remember: subscribing is a huge way to help us, but following us on one of the apps or platforms, liking and sharing our content and leaving us good reviews is also hugely helpful. Thanks!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line podcast, Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney talk about the increasingly public calls for Justin Trudeau to resign. Facing poor polling numbers, internal caucus division, and an embarrassing walk back of the Liberals' signature carbon tax policy, PEI senator and Liberal stalwart Percy Downe penned a polite op-ed advising Trudeau to step down. The provinces, including Saskatchewan, are on the verge of an outright tax revolt over the Liberals' plan to give heating oil a temporary carbon tax pass. Meanwhile, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he won't rule out a run at leadership — while also demonstrating why he'd be the worst possible successor to Trudeau — in an exclusive interview in the Globe and Mail. And then there was that unfortunate beheaded child costume, which Trudeau probably ought not to have tweeted out. Gurney and Gerson then chat about the recent appearance by CBC President Catherine Tait at a Heritage Committee; the episode was a little like watching someone from the country club enter a Parliamentary cage fight. Tait was technically right, but that doesn't mean she won. Lastly, Gurney offers an update about the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel; Gerson offers a pointless plea to use the word "genocide" correctly, and Gurney explains whey he is a "genocide absolutist," which is not actually as bad as it sounds. Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, for your podcast-listening pleasure. We are loving the response these podcasts are getting — truly, thank you. Remember: subscribing is a huge way to help us, but following us on one of the apps or platforms, liking and sharing our content and leaving us good reviews is also hugely helpful. Thanks! The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In The Line’s weekly Dispatch podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bizarre decision to lift the carbon tax on heating oil — and only heating oil. Is this a defensible policy, or simply pork barrel politics, and a sign of serious fractures in his caucus?(For clarity: in the podcast, we aren’t explicit that the carbon tax is coming off oil nationally, not just in Atlantic Canada — we stumble around that, but to be clear, the tax is being lifted nationally for the three-year period.)Matt and Jen then discuss Ontario NDP MPP Sarah Jama, who has been formally censured and kicked from caucus for calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as “an end to all occupation of Palestinian land.” Has the right gone too far, and demonstrated its value of free speech is disingenuous?Your intrepid hosts also discuss the Buffy St. Marie, and CBC’s ironclad story raising questions about the folk icon’s claims of Indigenous heritage. Meanwhile, the CBC is losing a war it doesn’t know it’s waging against a Conservative Party of Canada hellbent on defunding the public broadcaster. And, trigger warning, Matt and Jen discuss whether or not claims of “baby beheading” in Israel were accurate.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, if you’re not into the ones above.Like what you heard? Hate what you heard, but feeling generous all the same? Help us grow by signing up for a paid subscription today. And once you’ve done that, if you still want to show us the love, make a donation, too.The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

In this week's The Line Podcast, Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney discuss claims that Israel blew up a hospital in Gaza — including the part where, as it turns out, that did not happen. Rather, a Palestinian rocket misfired. They talk about the desire to create a moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel, a desire that makes tweeters and news editors alike quick to forget beheaded babies, and even faster to accept Hamas' claims of Israeli atrocities.Then, The Line also talks about the CBC's decision not to use the word "terrorism" to describe Hamas; and why they think that decision is both defensible, but also not the one The Line would make. It is also, sadly, one the CBC only seems to make some of the time.To round it out, the pair discuss dark clothing — namely, an RCMP campaign to encourage pedestrians not to wear dark clothing at night. This roused the usual condemnation from those who don't want police to blame the victim of vehicular accident. To which The Line says: “Yes, you're absolutely right. And nobody will care about how right you are when you're dead. Don't wear black at night."Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, if you’re not into the ones above.Like what you heard? Hate what you heard, but feeling generous all the same? Help us grow by signing up for a paid subscription today. And once you’ve done that, if you still want to show us the love, make a donation, too.The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

The Line's Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel; Israel's response in the Gaza Strip — and North America's progressives, who have left their assess hanging in the wind by applauding and condoning acts of violence that include the murder of children and sexual assault of Israeli women. Progressives are doing incredible damage to their own causes by justifying the violence of Hamas — a genocidal and theocratic terrorist organization — under leftist jargon like "decolonization." In other news, Canada's Supreme Court has ruled the federal government's environmental impact legislation — also known as C-69, or the "no more pipelines" bill — as unconstitutional. To the shock and surprise of everyone who expected this court to rule in Justin Trudeau's favour, the SCC agreed with the Alberta Court of Appeal: that C-69 oversteps provincial jurisdiction, and undermines the constitutional right of provinces to develop and manage their own natural resources. All this, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. And we warn our listeners, this is a hard one. Lot of emotion and not nice things to discuss.Other ways to listen:Spotify:Apple:Google:Plenty of other options here, too, if you’re not into the ones above.Please subscribe and leave us a glowing review. This is an important part of trying to master the algorithms that now rule all our lives. If you really like us, help pay for our terrific new podcasting editors by hitting the little blue buttons below. The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson on why the podcast proposals aren't as benign as the government makes them sound (and might believe). On the pending Google disaster. And why Canadians aren't as smart as we think we are (with all due respect to David Dodge). Plus: is the NDP bargaining with the Liberals, or we are seeing the first moves in their conscious uncoupling?Enjoying The Line Podcast? Want other options for listening? No problem!We’ve got plenty of options for you, and we’re pleased to report that the big three podcasting apps are all set up:Spotify!Apple!Google!Plenty of other options here, too, if you’re not into the ones above.However you want to listen, please subscribe and leave us a glowing review. And share with everyone you know! And if you really like us, help pay for our terrific new podcasting editors by hitting that little blue button below. Either of the blue buttons, actually!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson on Canada humiliating itself by giving a Nazi a standing O, insulting our allies by promising to spend more on the military right before we announce we are going to spend less on the military, and, oh, God, we guess we’re debating the notwithstanding clause again. And more!Enjoying The Line Podcast? Want other options for listening? No problem!We’ve got plenty of options for you, and we’re pleased to report that the big three podcasting apps are all set up:Spotify!Apple!Google! Plenty of other options here, too, if you’re not into the ones above.However you want to listen, please subscribe and leave us a glowing review. And share with everyone you know! And if you really like us, help pay for our terrific new podcasting editors by hitting that little blue button below. Either of the blue buttons, actually!The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson bring you the first episode of The Line Podcast. And gosh, this week didn’t go the way we thought it would. Canada finds itself in a major dispute with a global superpower, again. Trudeau and his comms obsession is causing us problems, again. Doug Ford has to make a full retreat, again, this time on the Greenbelt. And Alberta picks a dumb fight with Canada, again, this time over pensions. Be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — since this is brand new, it may take the players a few more days to find us in the vast, twisting labyrinth of the interweb’s many tubes, but we are already live on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and many others. You can find them all here. The rest are coming — we are now at the mercy of the algorithms. Google Podcasts is taking its sweet time to connect with us — it’s working on the backend, but not yet publicly — but for those into Spotify and Apple, good news! Those are workin’ fine!Spotify!Apple!Also, please subscribe to us on YouTube! That helps, too! Even though this is no longer an experimental podcast, there might be a few bugs we still have to work out as we step into the future here. Please be patient, and please, please, please share our work, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell total strangers, tell everyone. Spread the word of The Line!But for now, enjoy the first episode of The Line Podcast. The Line is entirely reader funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Welcome to what is the final — we think? — edition of The Line’s experimental podcast. We started these 60 episodes ago just out of curiosity. Would people be interested? Would we enjoy doing it? The answer to both questions is yes — we enjoy doing it, and thousands of you loveable weirdos listen to us every week. We’ve decided it’s time to punch things up a notch here, which is why we’re going to finally grow up, change into real pants and do a proper, edited podcast. That should start next week — the week after that, at the latest.And yes, for those who keep asking, it will be available on all the usual platforms. But we’ll also offer it here, for those among you who are creatures of habit. And, yeah, we’ll keep swearing.Many thanks to all of you who came along with us on this fun, weird experiment. We hope you like what’s coming next.But for now, enjoy the latest, and probably last, experimental podcast.The Line is entirely reader funded. If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Your Line editors talk about the news that was, and will be, as the CPC convention gets underway in Quebec City. And also: the Ford government just needs to zip it. STOP TALKING.The Line is entirely reader funded. If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Your Line editors generally avoid culture war issues. There’s two big reasons for this. There are media personalities and entire outlets that devote their whole careers and output to rage-farming, and we decided early that those waters were being fished enough already. We wanted to do something different. But also, to be blunt, we think culture wars are traps. They’re like nuclear wars — no one wins them, and everyone loses when someone tries to. We understand they’re great business, and that we might be richer if we’d simply declared for one side or another and then hammered away at that without pause. But that’s no way to live, and we think would leave the country worse off. We don’t want that. In our own way, we are trying to do some good here. Good for ourselves, certainly, but also good for Canada. We want this place to work.Sometimes, though, you can’t avoid the culture wars. Legislation (real or proposed) by right-wing premiers has brought some of the kind of culture-war combat that we’d been watching in the United States north of the border. We wish they hadn’t done that. We also think that our federal Liberals, desperate to turn around their lousy poll numbers, are going to sink their teeth into this and run with it, ramping up the rhetoric in an attempt to wedge the rising CPC and portray them as fanatics — in fact, they already are. We wish they wouldn’t do that.But hey, if wishes were horses, right? We truly believe there is a position on trans rights that would be not only humane and decent, but broadly supported. Full legal protections and an expectation of dignity for trans Canadians, and safeguards for minors considering transitioning and reasonable policies on shared spaces and athletics, would win over most Canadians — we are, in the main, reasonable people.We wish the political incentives would lead us to that outcome, but we doubt it will — we think the opposite will happen. So in this podcast, with reluctance and somewhat against our better judgment, we jump in. We hope you enjoy it, or at least that it makes you think.The Line is entirely reader funded. If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

We really run through a lot of topics this time — bad Liberal polls, Jordan Peterson, where and how we think the LPC will try to wedge the CPC, why we think it might work, and lots, lots more.Have you been humming and hawwing about subscribing? Well, we’re raising our rates in a few weeks. Lock in now, or else! (Or else just like pay the higher rate later. Not that big a deal. But still.)The Line is entirely reader funded. If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Gee, wonder what we’re going to talk about — extremely carefully — this week, eh?Don’t worry, we talk about a lot of other stuff. It’s guaranteed to lift your spirits. (No, no, it’s not.)The Line is entirely reader funded. If you value our work and 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. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: [email protected]. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe