The Line Podcast

Hey folks, a shorter episode than normal today — we covered all the big stuff on Monday, so here we are just reacting to what cropped up over the week. Enjoy!If you did enjoy this, subscribe, and we’ll do more! Promise? Threat? Who knows?!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, starting 2023 with a ba … well, okay, not a bang, but more than a whimper. That’s something, we guess? Jordan Peterson, guns, Alberta, Ontario, and why the Liberals may be creating problems for themselves. If you enjoyed this, subscribe, and we’ll do more! (We’ll probably do more anyway, but if you subscribe, our children won’t starve.)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 is it! We’re done! The Nice List series has only one more to come. The Naughty List is all prepped and ready to go. We’re taking the rest of the year off! Wheeee!Well, barring any big news developments, that is. We’re still journalists. But if all goes well, you won’t hear from us again until 2023.Before we go: from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We had a fantastic year and we think we’re going to have an even better 2023, and you make it possible. Remember: we are only supported by readers and donors. Only the support of our fans lets us grow. Thank you for all those that support us. Please join us, for those that haven’t yet.But on that note, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year — any that apply to you, we offer it. Be happy, be healthy and be safe. Talk to you soon.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

Are you tired of gun talk? We are too. So we give you an update on the latest (there’s some interesting stuff, we swear) and then we move on. Also on our radar: MAID and a smart delay there. Then we get into whether Canada is broken, and how it’s broken. Plus: Musk is breaking Twitter. And his own rules.We hope you enjoy this. We’ll do one more before the holidays and then we’re on break, so enjoy this one.Enjoy it a lot? Subscribe!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, the good news is, we got most of the technical stuff about the gun debacle out of the way last week. This week, we focus on the politics. Spoiler: it’s not going well for the Liberals.You know what else isn’t going well for them? The dental-care rollout. Gee, who could have seen that coming. Deliverology, right?Also: very serious allegations against a reasonably prominent Canadian columnist, author and her publisher. We summarize what’s known. Also, Jen almost throws up on air. So that was fun.Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe 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

Last week’s episode was our longest and most serious thus far. This week? Kind of the opposite. We do have a serious conversation about C-21, the latest gun control bill, and why it might have been one too many trips to the gun well for Trudeau. We also chat some fascinating but bleak numbers on the state of Canadian media, why antisemites keep hanging out with Donald Tru — no, no, wait. The federal Liberals? Huh. That’s weird.And also, we admit, an segment of very, very dark humour that left Jen unable to speak through her giggles, and then your Line editors fight it out over whether Ontario or Alberta has gone more insane since 2020.So a little bit serious, a little bit silly. All right here on The Line experimental podcast.Enjoy it? Hit the little blue button below.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

Oh boy. This one is long. But it’s important. The Line decided early that it would closely watch the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, but it would steadfastly refuse to draw any conclusions until it was over. It’s over. The testimony is complete. Justice Paul Rouleau is off to write his report. And now The Line has to begin its work, too, and that includes a long and careful look at our own reporting during the February crisis.Overall? We think we did really well. But there is at least one thing we got wrong, and one thing we just don’t know about — and that’s really frustrating.So please take the time and listen. This is as honest as we can be about what was an obviously exhausting and stressful time. If you like what you hear, please subscribe today, and help us continue our work.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

Gurney and Gerson chat about the latest from POEC, Twitter meltdowns, and why Trudeau maybe didn't flub a gotcha question on genocide. Please note: Gurney's laptop broke and Gerson is half out-of-it on cold medication, so the audio quality could be better. Also, expect the written dispatch to come Sunday. Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe

Ontario becomes the main story. Why Ford likely starts with the lead, and will then likely screw it up. Don’t put big red panic buttons into rooms if you don’t want kids to push them (true story). POEC, the NWC, why Jen was mad at Freeland, and another damned listicle where no one looked at the methodology.Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. Also, we’re nice people, so why not reward us with a small amount of your money?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

Jen Gerson makes her triumphant return to the experimental podcast. She and Matt Gurney talk POEC, whether Canadian minds are capable of changing, Danielle Smith taking on the WEF, Doug Ford runs for the hills again, and the left attacks the independence of the central bank.Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. Also, we’re nice people, so why not reward us with a small amount of your money?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 is joined by Andrew Potter, former editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen, who steps in to cover for Jen Gerson, who’s on the road this week doing research for her book. In this episode: Lots and lots on the convoy, how Ottawa is extremely poorly run, the problems at the top of the RCMP, APEC and pepper on the plate, Ukraine, and lots more. Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. Also, we’re nice people, so why not reward us with a small amount of your money?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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: Danielle Smith experiences reality again, and gets a bit wobbly. The Emergencies Act commission gets underway in Ottawa, and let’s stay tuned for that. Could get interesting! And Elon Musk picks a fight with Ukraine that he might come to regret.Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. Also, we’re nice people, so why not reward us with a small amount of your money?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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: a real grab bag of stuff, including lots on guns, a lot on Alberta, a lot on Poilievre’s naughty metadata, and pondering whether Anita Anand is absolutely astonishing … or just generally competent amid a group of failures. Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these, even if this episode doesn’t sound like it. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: mostly nukes, to be honest. What the scenarios are, whether we’re prepared (ha!) and why we are getting more concerned. We also talk some media stuff and some federal politics stuff, but mostly nukes.Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these, even if this episode doesn’t sound like it. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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, friends and family of The Line. We had ourselves a bit of a week. Matt Gurney was planning on being off for a few days, trying to finish up the home renovation that has eaten his life (and his money — please subscribe today, really, please). Jen Gerson was going to run the shop but she came down with what she thought was a bit of a cold. Oops! Nope. It’s a strep infection. And it turns out you can’t ignore those — if you do, they seem to just get worse.Anyway, so. Yeah. She’s out of action, friends. By weird coincidence, Jen was actually testifying before Parliament today (more on that later) and she was able to summon her last reserves of strength and finish her appearance. But she used up all of her energy (and her voice!) in doing so.We could have just skipped the podcast, but Matt actually wanted to have a longer conversation with Mitch Heimpel, who wrote the last piece The Line published this week before the bottom fell out of all our best-laid plans. If you haven’t already, read Mitch’s essay, and then come back here, pour a drink of your choice, and settle in for a long chat on The Line’s special episode on the experimental podcast.And if you like it, and the new door trim in Matt’s house, subscribe today.Watch for our written dispatch, as well — that’s coming tomorrow. 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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: more thoughts on the royals, including King Charles III as the ultimate boomer. Plus some Ukraine, quite a bit on Poilievre vs. the media, and why Matt once thought he’d had his eyebrow shaved off by a rogue barber.Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: the Queen is dead. God Save the King. And God help us — the avalanche of hot takes will soon be upon us. Also: CPC leadership race, the RCMP has a problem (or two), but the Russians … they’ve really got problems. Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: Matt’s theory of nastiness, weirdness in the CPC leadership race, how Poilievre is going to completely steamroller most Canadian journalists, commentators and analysts with his deliberate strategy of confrontation, replacing “Jumping the shark” with “Wendy turning grey,” Brenda Lucki is bad at her job and Jen got a free bike! (Matt’s holding out for an M1 Garand, if any of you have one handy.)Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: Lisa LaFlamme takes on Bell, and so far, seems to be winning. Related: what we think the real story is (it’s not sexism, but we agree sexism is a part of it). Also: the latest from Ottawa and Alberta. Fun times! Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: Trump eats another news cycle, why nuclear policy documents make for poor bathroom reading, what Danielle Smith is really talking about, and how right-wingers are turning into the most annoying kind of left-winger, leaving us all stupider for it. Thank you for listening. We are having a lot of fun with these. If you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the continuing (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: the pandemic broke our health-care systems (and a few brains), the RCMP commissioner’s explanation is weird, and so is our federal cabinet, Jen vs. Listicles, and much, much more. Including guns. Lots of guns. These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the 12th (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: Toronto is too damn hot, Alberta conservatives are nuts (but it ain’t just an Alberta thing), the meaning and challenge of a papal apology, or any apology, the incredible missing federal customer service task force … and more! These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the 11th (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: an update on the RCMP commissioner’s wee problem. An analysis of Pierre Poilievre’s little stroll. More on Alberta and abortion. And a big, light-hearted blast of sci-fi TV recommendations.These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the 10th (not really) experimental Line podcast. In this episode: it had been a slow week, until things went nuts. We so take on the controversy surrounding RCMP Commissioner Brendi Lucki (she needs to resign, we conclude), analyze the dissent from the three U.S. Supreme Court justices that voted against repealing Roe v. Wade, discuss the collapse of the CPC into something very weird and different, and Matt explains why he thinks things are about to get totally frickin’ bonkers. And like, not in a good way.These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the ninth experimental Line podcast. In this episode: the things a time traveller from 2019 would be most weirded out about, whether the Liberals have hit the point of no return, whether Alberta can play by Quebec’s rules, and Jen gets super dark about why you ought to enjoy this summer — it’ll be the last good one. These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the eighth experimental Line podcast. We mostly avoid the Ontario election, and talk about other things. Like: did the Liberals screw up their recent gun-control announcement and commit themselves to a gun grab they never intended? Is there a cynical reason the government doesn’t want people flying? Is Quebec going totally nuts? And much, much more.These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the seventh experimental Line podcast. This week was honestly kind of grim. It’s hard to be cheerful after what happened in Texas this week. So be warned. We did also talk some Canadian politics, though. Because, well, that’s what we do, right?These experimental podcasts are going well so far. Thank you for listening, and if you like what you hear and haven’t yet signed up, please make use of that little blue button below.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 in the sixth experimental Line podcast. This week: a long chat about Kenney and Alberta, Matt gets angry dealing with government communication flaks, a bit about Huawei, and a lot about how great Jen’s hair looks. These experimental podcasts are going well so far. We are having fun. We even got Jen a new microphone, which makes its debut in this episode (and it sounds great!). If you’re enjoying them, and haven’t joined us yet as a paying subscriber, please considering doing so today. It’ll help pay for the microphone.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 in the fifth experimental Line podcast. We missed a week due to travel conflicts in our schedule but it’s good to be back. This week: baby formula nightmare scenario (literally), Jagmeet Singh activates his cloaking device, and why Toronto City Council needs to be disbanded. These experimental podcasts are going well so far. We are having fun. We even got Jen a new microphone, but it didn’t arrive in time for this episode. Oh well. If you’re enjoying them, and haven’t joined us yet as a paying subscriber, please considering doing so today. It’ll help pay for the microphone.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 in the fourth experimental Line podcast. This one is a bit of a slice-and-dice because, unfortunately, our weekly recorded Zoom meeting had a corrupted file. We couldn’t salvage the video at all (so no YouTube this week!) and we could only salvage some of the audio. Whole sections were missing or garbled beyond use. But we still pulled together what was workable and stitched it together for you, and we really hope you enjoy it.These experimental podcasts are going well so far, this week’s technical meltdown not withstanding. If you’re enjoying them, and haven’t joined us yet as a paying subscriber, please considering doing so 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 in the third, and not quite so verbose, experimental Line podcast. We cover the CNN Plus flop, and some Canadian companies that had similar problems (though not in scale — yeesh, CNN). We also chat a crisis among Canadian experts (who keep getting stuff wrong) and how the federal government has suddenly realized that regulating the internet might be hard. Who knew?!These experimental podcasts are going well so far. If you’re enjoying them, and haven’t joined us yet as a paying subscriber, please considering doing so 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 in the second, and we think improved, experimental Line podcast. It’s too long. We know. But we like gabbing.As before, we’re still working out some bugs and learning the ropes, but this should be much smoother this time. With fewer (but not zero) toddler interruptions! This is an edited version of our first attempt at this second episode, for reasons explained in the podcast. (If you’re wondering why you received it twice, that’s why.)Anyway. These (clearly!) remain a work in progress, but the first one took us about an hour to set up, and this one, about 10 minutes. So that’s more like it! Expect more of them. And if you’re enjoying them, and haven’t yet signed up, hit that little blue button below.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 try out one of these newfangled “pod casts.”(Seriously, folks — it’s the audio from our weekly dispatch meeting. We’re just trying to get a sense of how we might do this, and whether there’s any appetite for something like this. Enjoy! Or don’t!)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