The Line

This podcast explores the $100 million Google deal to support Canadian media and the implications for Canadian journalism. They discuss the justification of Hamas hostage taking and the challenges of dealing with irreconcilable differences in society. The hosts also talk about Ottawa bubble stories, the dismissal of certain news stories, and the conservative opposition to the Ukrainian trade deal. Overall, they emphasize the importance of compassion and unity in society.

The podcast discusses the initial fear of terrorism surrounding an explosion at a Canadian border crossing, which turned out to be a traffic accident. They also talk about the challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity with government funding and criticize the CRTC's regulation of podcasts. The fall economic statement and the need for action on housing are discussed, as well as the importance of politicians having good interview skills.

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. 

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!

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 why he is a "genocide absolutist," which is not actually as bad as it sounds.

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 hellbent on defunding the public broadcaster. And, trigger warning, Matt and Jen discuss whether or not claims of “baby beheading” in Israel were accurate.

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. 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."

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 asses 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. 

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.

Canada humiliates itself by applauding a former SS Waffen volunteer, insults allies with military spending promises, and debates the notwithstanding clause. Discussion on strategic game plans and importance of records. Critique of billion dollar defense budget cut and parents' rights legislation in Saskatchewan. Reflections on reader comments and power of words.