Politics returns! And! What you can do to defend yourself

This week on On The Line, Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for two very different conversations. 

First up is Christopher Nardi, a parliamentary reporter at the National Post’s Ottawa bureau, and an old friend of Matt’s. They talk about the end of the summer — yes, sadly it’s true — and what we’ve seen so far from the Carney government. Chris offers some hope that there might be more going on than has met the eye, but he’s also a realist about the challenges the new government is going to face. The two also touch on the Conservatives, and why that party is glad to have its leader back in the House, before musing about the future — if any — of the federal NDP. They aren’t writing the New Democrats off entirely, but making it back from here will be a steep climb.

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb. Canada needs to take real action on bringing housing costs down – but experts agree that regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb is nothing more than a distraction. This makes sense when you consider two key statistics: Canada needs 5.8 million homes to reach affordability by 2030, and Airbnbs account for only 0.6 per cent of Canada’s overall housing stock. The closer you look, the clearer it gets that Canada needs bold action that addresses the entire housing market, not just 0.6 per cent of it.Additionally, regulating short-term rentals would limit the productive role that Airbnbs play in helping Canadians get by. Did you know that 47 per cent of Airbnb hosts in Canada report that income from hosting has helped them stay in their homes? To learn more about how Airbnb is helping, not hurting, Canada’s economy, visit Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

After that, Matt is joined by Ian Runkle, a lawyer with expertise in firearms law and self-defence, and also the voice behind the YouTube channel Runkle of the Bailey. The conversation is all about, as they say, "just the facts." What is the law on self-defense in Canada? What can you do, and what can’t you do? Why did an attempt by the Harper government to make the law better for people defending themselves actually end up making things worse in some ways? And if Ian had the chance, how would he fix it? As it turns out, he and Matt are thinking along very similar lines.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's Penetanguishene, 1840. More than a decade after relocating from Drummond Island, a group of Métis families signed their names to paper. Their petition was simple: recognize us and our rights. The answer was a policy formally excluding Métis communities from recognition, denying their existence for generations. But the petitions did not stop. From Penetanguishene to Sault Ste. Marie, Fort Frances and north to Moose Factory, Métis in Ontario insisted they are a distinct Indigenous people, with their own history, identity, and rights. That fight has carried forward into self-government agreements with Canada. Today, the Métis Nation of Ontario is a recognized Métis government, with the authority to build its own laws, institutions, and future. What began as a petition nearly two centuries ago lives on in the work of the MNO today, ensuring that Métis rights are recognized for generations to come. To learn more, visit OntarioMetisFacts.com.

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