Carney's China Problem, Jen's society problem

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 11, 2025, things get unexpectedly emotional right out of the gate. Jen opens with a raw reflection on the state of public discourse in Canada — how partisanship is melting brains, how the media is under attack, and how political parties have become so addicted to campaigning that they’ve forgotten how to govern. Jen reminds Matt that he lives in a society, not alone on an island. He says he gets that, but he'd like to build a fortress on that island. He agrees with where Jen thinks things are going. He's just stopped feeling bad about it and has moved on to the doing-things-about-it stage.

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From there, they turn to the federal election campaign. The CPC campaign has problems. The LPC has different problems. They dig into the signs that the Liberal party is simply not taking concerns about Chinese influence in its GTA operations seriously — Carney may be a new leader, but they're certainly reading from the Trudeau playbook, probably because these guys stopped being able to tell the difference between a danger alarm and a "Fuck Trudeau" flag years ago. Matt also thinks the party leaders are just tired. They need a proper meal and a good night's rest.

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

In the final segment, Matt recaps a speech he attended this week from the president and CEO of TransCanada Energy. The message? Canadians should aspire to be actual leaders in the field of energy exports, particularly to Asia, and what that would require in terms of building infrastructure ... and political will. It’s a theme Matt picked up in his column this week. It shouldn't feel so revolutionary to hear a CEO say it, but ...

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All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, or find us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode.