The Line

Carney makes the easy call to fix our most symbolic national embarrassment

In today’s episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on June 26th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with a rare moment of joy. After decades of delay and political paralysis, there is finally a plan to deal with 24 Sussex Drive. Your hosts don’t love every aspect of it, but they’re so relieved that someone has finally decided to do something that they’re prepared to celebrate. Now comes the hard part: not finding a way to mess it up. > This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com [http://ap1000.cameco.com/]. From there, they turn to the tragic shooting in Montreal that claimed the life of another police officer. Beyond the immediate heartbreak, your hosts focus on two broader issues. First, they argue that the media should have published the shooter’s manifesto. By choosing not to do so, they contend, some early reporting ended up being incomplete or inaccurate. Second, they discuss the rush by commentators across the political spectrum to comb through the manifesto looking for evidence that the attacker perfectly represented their opponents — or, failing that, had nothing whatsoever to do with their own side. Matt and Jen argue that modern terrorism is often ideologically incoherent, and that treating every attack as an opportunity for partisan point-scoring will only make it harder to understand and prevent future violence. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementors, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca [http://fractional-execs.ca/]. Finally, Jen makes a wardrobe change that only video viewers will fully appreciate before walking Matt through the increasingly strange politics of the Calgary Stampede. What was once simply Alberta’s biggest annual celebration is now becoming another front in an ongoing proxy war between competing factions within the broader conservative movement. > This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit research network, which helps bring cutting edge cancer immunotherapy research from Canadian scientists from labs to patients in clinical trials –– all in Canada. Cancer is very good at evading your immune system. But in some tumors, researchers find cancer-killing immune cells called tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs. They get inside the tumour and start fighting — but they’re outnumbered and ill equipped. Researchers in Canada and around the world are studying techniques to extract them from a tumour and multiply them in a lab. Once they number in the millions, they’re injected back into the tumour to do more damage. Research into this line of attack against cancer is ongoing. There are plenty of unanswered questions, and we're working hard to answer them. Learn more about this and other critical work at BioCanRx.com [http://biocanrx.com/]. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as ever, like and subscribe. #TheLinePodcast #CanadianPolitics #24Sussex #Montreal #CalgaryStampede #AlbertaPolitics #PoliticalAnalysis #CanadianMedia #LawEnforcement  #CurrentAffairs

Carney condo bailout? Not quite

In today’s episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for conversations about housing, politics, and why governments sometimes struggle to explain themselves. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. When your immune system recognizes that cancer is a problem, but can’t kill it, can science help? This summer we’re partnering with BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit research network, to learn about cutting edge cancer immunotherapy research that they’re helping Canadian researchers bring from labs to patients in clinical trials –– all in Canada. One of the reasons cancers are so destructive is because they find ways to evade your immune system. But in some tumours, researchers find cancer-killing immune cells called "tumour infiltrating lymphocytes," or TILs. These are like infantry grunts choosing to stand their ground during the final fight in a superhero movie. They get inside the tumour and start fighting – –but they’re outnumbered and ill equipped. They need reinforcements. Researchers in Canada and around the world are studying techniques to extract them from a tumour and multiply them in a lab environment. Once they number in the millions, they're sent back into the fight. Research into this line of attack against cancer is ongoing, and there are plenty of questions — we'll be covering more of them over the course of the summer. Go to BioCanRx.com to learn more about these new ways of fighting cancer. First up is Mike Moffatt of the Missing Middle Initiative and co-host of the Missing Middle Podcast. He joins Matt to discuss the much-debated “condo bailout” and why, despite the label, it isn’t actually a condo bailout at all. Moffatt argues that the government has done itself no favours by communicating the policy so poorly, and walks listeners through what the plan is — and what it isn’t. The conversation then broadens into a look at the state of housing in Canada more generally. There are some signs of progress, but the underlying challenges remain enormous, and Moffatt explains why solving them will require much more than a handful of headline-grabbing announcements. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. A stronger forest industry depends on getting goods to market. Forest products move by truck, rail, and ship, and reliability matters. When costs rise or shipments stall, mills, workers, customers, and communities all feel the impact. Stronger trade corridors, better rail performance, labour stability, and reliable transportation should be treated as core parts of Canada’s productivity agenda. For a sector rooted in communities and connected to global markets, transportation is transformation. Learn more at FPAC.ca. Then Matt is joined by Andrew MacDougall of Trafalgar Strategy for a look across the Atlantic at the increasingly turbulent state of British politics. They discuss the struggles of now-outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the rise of Andy Burnham as a potential future national leader, and why so many observers now see the United Kingdom as becoming increasingly difficult to govern. MacDougall argues that the country’s problems run deeper than any one politician or party, and offers his own diagnosis of what has gone wrong. It’s a pair of conversations about institutions under strain, political communication, and the challenge of governing in an era when public patience is increasingly in short supply. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com [http://ap1000.cameco.com/]. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe. #OnTheLine #Housing #MikeMoffatt #MissingMiddle #CanadaHousing #KeirStarmer #AndyBurnham #UKPolitics #AndrewMacDougall #MattGurney

Why does America hate us, we're poor

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on June 19th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with a foreign affairs roundup. Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to Ireland and France to strengthen ties with Europe while also trying to maintain a workable relationship with Donald Trump. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits NATO and delivers some pointed criticism of allies that, while not directed at Canada by name, certainly sounds familiar. Your hosts also discuss the aftermath of America’s confrontation with Iran. Matt argues that the United States has, in practical terms, suffered a defeat — an embarrassing outcome for Trump, but perhaps a useful lesson for the rest of us about the limits of military power. > This episode is brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementors, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. > > Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. > > Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. Next, they take a quick tour through the provinces. Matt is increasingly worried that Doug Ford could inadvertently throw Canada-U.S. negotiations into chaos, and explains why. Jen provides an update from Alberta, where the political situation remains bizarre. By the end of the segment, both hosts arrive at a grim conclusion: the incentives facing almost every major political actor now reward escalation, confrontation, and nastiness. That rarely ends well. This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit research network helping Canadian researchers bring treatments from labs to patients in clinical trials –– all in Canada. Every day, your immune system finds and destroys different types of threats –– both external invaders like viruses, and internal dangers like pre-cancerous cells in your own body. But cancer can sometimes evade detection. Researchers are working to identify flags found on cancer cells, called antigens. By training your immune system to recognize these antigens, immunotherapy can help your immune system destroy cancer.  In addition to funding clinical trials, BioCanRx supports research teams who identify these cancer antigens, and find new ways to target them. Many challenges remain — and we’re working on solving them. You’ll hear more over the summer. For now, go to BioCanRx.com to learn more [https://biocanrx.com/]. Finally, Jen disappears down one of her trademark rabbit holes and emerges with a sweeping explanation of how she came to fully appreciate the sheer economic power of the United States. Somehow, this journey involves gas pumps, brisket, beef jerky, the Soviet Union, and the defeat of Imperial Japan in 1945. Your hosts find themselves reflecting on what American economic dominance really means, why it has proven so durable, and what lessons Canada should draw from it as we navigate an increasingly uncertain world. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check us out on our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. #TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #DonaldTrump #CanadaUSRelations #AlbertaPolitics #DougFord #CanadianPolitics #Geopolitics #NATO #CurrentAffairs

America — but Bigger

In today’s On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Mark Kawar, an amateur historian and journalist whose book America But Bigger explores a surprisingly persistent feature of American history: attempts to expand the United States beyond its current borders. This episode of On The Line is brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit research network helping Canadian researchers bring treatments from labs to patients in clinical trials –– all in Canada.  Cancer can hide from your immune system. So how can we target it? Every day, your immune system finds and destroys different types of threats –– both external invaders like viruses, and internal dangers like pre-cancerous cells in your own body. But no system is perfect — sometimes something evades detection. Researchers are working to identify flags found on cancer cells, called antigens. By training your immune system to recognize these antigens as signals for destruction, some forms of immunotherapy equip your immune system to respond to cancer’s asymmetrical threat.    In addition to funding clinical trials, BioCanRx supports research teams who identify cancer antigens, and find new ways to target them with immunotherapies. There’s still a lot to figure out. Can we train the immune system to hit these antigens before cancer takes root? Why do some cancers still manage to evade therapies designed to find their antigens? Many other questions remain — and we’re working on answering them. You’ll hear more over the summer. For now, go to BioCanRx.com to learn more [https://biocanrx.com/]. Kawar walks Gerson through the long history of American expansionist ambitions, from schemes that never got off the ground to serious efforts that came much closer to success than many people realize. Along the way, he notes that not every annexation proposal was unwelcome to the people being annexed, and that the historical record is often more complicated than simple stories of American aggression. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. A stronger forest industry means investing in the mills and facilities that anchor communities across Canada. Companies are ready to modernize with cleaner equipment, better energy efficiency, advanced wood products, biomaterials, and smarter use of every part of the tree. These are productive, lower-emission, export-oriented investments. But good projects need a workable business case. Our economy needs practical tools to unlock private capital and keep investment here. Learn more at fpac.ca [http://fpac.ca/]. More importantly, Kawar examines why so many of these projects ultimately failed. The United States has often possessed enormous economic, military, and political power, but translating that power into lasting territorial expansion has proven more difficult than many Americans imagined. Again and again, resistance, geography, politics, and simple practicality imposed limits on what even the world’s most powerful country could accomplish. The result is a fascinating conversation about ambition, empire, national identity, and the often-overlooked constraints on American power. It’s also a discussion that may hold some lessons for Canadians, should they ever find themselves wondering about the limits of U.S. influence. For whatever reason. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com [http://ap1000.cameco.com/]. Visit our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Be sure to like and subscribe. We’ll be back on Friday with another episode of The Line Podcast. #Canada #Politics #UnitedStates #Greenland #annexation #51 #51State #OnTheLine

Canada and America, a (gross) love story

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on June 12th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with an update from Alberta. Jen reviews Pierre Poilievre’s recent speech on why Alberta belongs in Canada. She liked it, with some caveats. Matt was somewhat more encouraged. He also has a few sharp words for Liberals who seem determined to police the boundaries of acceptable federalism. His view is simple: if people are defending Canada, let them defend Canada. Not every argument for national unity needs to come packaged with Liberal talking points. From Toronto, Matt also reflects on a genuine tragedy this week — a police officer killed in the line of duty while confronting a problem that had been allowed to fester for far too long. It’s difficult to discuss without emotion. In his view, it never should have ended this way. But, alas, it was always going to: even if the exact tragedy was unforeseen, a tragedy was inevitable.  This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com [http://ap1000.cameco.com/]. The hosts then take a very different turn. In what may be the strangest segment of the year, Jen reimagines 250 years of Canada-U.S. relations as a raunchy romantic comedy full of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and, yes, sex. Video viewers can watch Matt become increasingly horrified as the bit unfolds — not because he disagrees with the analysis, but because he finds himself unable to refute it. This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally funded, not-for-profit Canadian research network that specializes in bringing Canadian cancer immunotherapy research from the lab all the way to patients in clinical trials in Canada. Immunotherapy is about assisting your immune system in identifying unhealthy cells –– especially cancer –– that have found a way to evade detection. One way researchers are doing this is through something called CAR T. They draw your blood, isolate one type of your immune cells –– T-Cells –– and use a virus to inject genetic instructions that cause them to grow new receptors designed specifically to find and destroy your particular cancer. In one of the 16 trials BioCanRx funds based on Canadian technology, CLIC-01, the median number of months remaining for patients with late-stage leukemia and lymphoma tripled. Some have been cancer free for years. You’ll hear more over the summer. For now, go to BioCanRx.com to learn more [https://biocanrx.com/] After that, the hosts wrap up with a discussion about children and social media. Both agree that kids probably shouldn’t be spending their lives online. Their concern is that any attempt by the government to solve that problem could easily create several new ones. If recent experience is any guide, they aren’t especially confident Ottawa can regulate this area without making a mess of it. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and, as ever, like and subscribe.  #TheLinePodcast #PierrePoilievre #AlbertaPolitics #CanadianPolitics #CanadaUSRelations #SocialMedia #Parenting #NationalUnity #PoliticalPodcast #CurrentAffairs