The Line

General Wayne Eyre, former commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Defence Staff, discusses the state of the world today, Canada's military readiness, and the recently announced Defence Policy Update. He emphasizes the need for Canada to be prepared for geopolitical challenges and the importance of international stability for the country's prosperity.

How are Canada's conservatives feeling right now? Pretty good, it turns out. In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 12, 2024, Matt Gurney finds Jen Gerson in Ottawa, in the media room at the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference. (And be warned, listeners and viewers, because Jen is in the field, there's some background noise in this episode, especially when some people protesting Israel's military campaign in Gaza show up.)On the agenda for this episode: the conference itself, of course. Jen provides her sense on how the mood is among Canada's broader conservative movement. It turns out that they have also read the polls lately, and are feeling pretty good about themselves. Jen talks a little bit about her own panel on the future of media regulation, and why she was a little worried about some of what she saw in the crowd. The two editors then talk a bit about why conservatives should enjoy this conference, and maybe the next one, if there's still time before the next election. Win or lose, it'll get harder for the conservatives (and Conservatives) from here. They'll soon have all the responsibility and power. And that's where the heartbreak begins. Jen also discusses her raging hangover. Conferences, folks. They'll getcha if you're not careful. They then pivot to the ongoing Foreign Interference Commission, and Matt notes that while the Johnston report is mostly aging badly, one thing remains very true from it. Then as now, it's still very possible that the Liberals are telling the truth when they say they didn't know what China was up to. But at a certain point, that stops becoming a defence and starts becoming a confession. Matt also talks about how this government at times seems bizarrely convinced that it is some kind of a bystander, helpless to fix things that are broken. That's kind of its job!They end on discussing Matt's column this week, wherein he laments that there are women and now children, victims of (alleged!) sexual attacks, who will not ever know justice because the federal government couldn't get its butt in gear and appoint enough judges to oversee the trials. Cheerful stuff. Matt gets pretty angry.All that, and more, in this episode of The Line Podcast.Reminder: we are launching a new podcast as we speak, and hope to have episodes of On The Line being released weekly by next month, at the latest. Indeed, the next On The Line has already been recorded. Look for it early next week. 

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on First Contact Day (April 5), 2024, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson discuss Matt's column on former CPC leader Erin O'Toole's testimony before the Foreign Interference Commission, and a pretty nasty and revealing swipe that the PM made against O'Toole afterward. They also get into a much broader discussion about China's deep reach into many elements of Canadian society, much of which is fully legal and unremarkable ... except for how it might give many powerful people an incentive to look the other way when certain awkward questions arise. Including perhaps many people around the prime minister.The intrepid Line-editing duo then talk about Matt's observation last week that he felt like the Liberals were starting to find their fight again. Jen has come to agree with that, but they also talk for some length about jurisdiction. A lot of what the PM is proposing isn't really in federaljurisdiction, which is easily dismissed by some ... but not by those who have any experience seeing what happens when multiple orders of Canadian government try to work together even on things that they actually happen to agree on. Jurisdiction is one of those pesky details of Canadian public policy. You know, the place where you'll find the devil!They get caught up a bit on the state of the fighting in the Middle East, and Jen briefs Matt on why she is nervously researching red cows and Biblical prophecy.... just listen to the podcast, okay? 

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on March 29, 2024 — and happy Easter, everyone! — the dynamic Line editing duo first start by indulging Matt in some pure speculation. He has a hunch that after months of getting their butts kicked, the Liberals, specifically Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, might be starting to find his fight again. It's too soon to say for sure, but they'll be watching to see if the Liberals even have enough energy left to make a contest of it.Jen takes over then, and the two talk at length about the carbon tax, and a letter signed by many leading Canadian economists this week that lauds carbon pricing. The two don't disagree on the economics, but they do suspect that some of our leading economic thinkers may not have thought through the political ramifications of this. Does anyone think that Pierre Poilievre is worried that academic elites want the carbon tax to stay? Read the room, guys. Look around at the state of things. Are they trying to get him elected?Matt then notes a damned interesting speech by the Bank of Canada's senior deputy governor. In it, Carolyn Rogers warned a Halifax audience that Canada's economy is now in a state of "emergency." It's an interesting speech on its own merits, but what really caught Matt's attention was the simple fact that central bankers don't talk about emergencies even during literal emergencies, like plagues and wars. How freaked out must they be to talk this bluntly in prepared remarks?Jen then provides a quick update on the Nenshi campaign for Alberta NDP leader. It's starting to look like he's going to run away with it. She explains why.Also! The Line is now launching a new podcast — On The Line. It's still in a soft launch phase as the team here gets a few bugs worked out and details sorted, but however you want to receive it — on YouTube, on your preferred podcast app or at ReadTheLine.ca — please sign up today, like, subscribe, and all the rest. Never miss an episode of either of The Line's podcasts! 

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather has been one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel on the Liberal bench. Last week's NDP motion - roundly supported by his Liberal peers - has Housefather engaging in some serious soul searching about his future with the party. Will he cross the floor? Is he representative of a deeper political realignment? Why does he think the motion was "anti-Isreal"? This week, he speaks with The Line's Jen Gerson. Like and subscribe www.readtheline.ca

Well, hello there, fans of The Line Podcast. Matt and Jen had almost too much to talk about this week, especially because breaking (and sad) news from Kensington Palace landed as they were recording. They'll get into that near the end, but they start with a discussion about Matt's column this week, in which he explains why he was wrong about Pierre Poilievre's electoral chances. The conversation covers not only what Matt said in his column, but also some of what he couldn't fit in. Is Poilievre lucky, or a genius? Even senior Tories can't agree. Plus, what did months of interest rate hikes do to the millions of Canadian voters who were heavily indebted? It all combines to produce what your hosts agree is an angry, alienated Canadian population. One ready for a big change.Speaking of angry and alienated, Jen goes on to describe her fury at Calgary's latest blast of snow. True, genuine fury. She was not ready for another blizzard this week. But that conversation actually gets serious. Living with Canada's awful weather has always sucked, Matt notes, but the country has gotten so much else right that it was worth the hassle. For millions of Canadians who can't afford a house or find a family doctor, though, Canada's typical advantages are out of reach, and they're just left with the slush and the snow. How long until they start just packing up and leaving? Plus: your last chance to score a ticket to next month's live-taping of a pod episode in Calgary! Don't miss out! We're down to our last handful of tickets.All that, and more, in this episode of The Line Podcast. 

In The Line Podcast for March 15, hosts Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney announce a live taping in Calgary on April 19. Get your tickets here: www.readtheline.ca. This week, a Supreme Court ruling that may or may not have avoided using the controversial term "women." The Toronto Police's advice on preventing auto thefts, and the implications of unequal access to safety and policing. Gerson and Gurney also touch on the role of culture wars and manufactured outrage in public discourse. They explore the need for security and the various ways people seek it, including through religion, criminal organizations, and private security. The decline of policing and the rise of private security are discussed, along with the deteriorating state of cities like Edmonton. The focus then shifts to the Alberta NDP leadership race, with a particular emphasis on Naheed Nenshi's entry into the race. Nenshi's controversial statements and his chances of winning the leadership are analyzed. The conversation concludes with an invitation to a live podcast event and a call for potential sponsors. #canada #politics #toronto #police #crime #supremecourtcanada #women #nenshi #ndp #alberta #leadership 

Discussions on Durham by-election results, state-capacity issues, building infrastructure challenges, Online Harms Act concerns, breaking news from Alberta, and lack of decision-making in Canadian governance.

In this week's The Line Podcast, recorded on March 1, 2024, Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney discuss evil, death and growing old. All cheerful stuff. First they offer quick thoughts and condolences on the passing of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. Then they delve into the Liberals' proposed Online Harms Act, and conclude that while most of it is reasonable and does attempt to deal with legitimate and pressing concerns — like inappropriate revenge related material, and content related to the exploitation of underage peoples — the Liberals have gone off the rails in their attempts to reign in "hate speech" by reviving Section 13, a loathed and rejected provision that this country had already spent years litigating, and ultimately throwing up. The Online Harms Act will further empower Human Rights Tribunals to crack down on "hate speech" with a threat of serious fines. The bill introduces house arrest for pre-crime — it would allow authorities to impinge upon the liberties of individuals whom they believe might commit hate speech. The dynamic duo go on to discuss the latest information about the Chinese infiltration of the Winnipeg-based National Microbiology Lab, and the abuse of terms like "national security" to cover for embarrassment, folly, and failure. Then they lay into the latest drama from the ArriveCan scam — in which the federal government managed to spend $59 million on a phone app that now involves a PPC candidate and CEO who was apparently using his full-time job at the Department of National Defence as a side hustle. Amazing country, this. #OnlineHarmsAct #FreeSpeech #HateSpeech #ArriveCan #BrianMulroney #WinnipegLab #NationalSecurity #Canada #Politics 

Oh yes, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre — ostensible defender of limited government and freedom — is coming for your goon caves. (Google it, if you have to, but not at work.) More specifically, the CPC leader is supporting bill S-210, which seeks to age-gate porn, blocking access by minors. Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney clash on the issue; both agree that this makes for terrible, albeit emotionally popular, policy. They disagree about whether it will make for good politics. Then they go on to discuss the imminent Online Harms Act — bookies have high odds on that one being a total disaster. From there, your hosts veer to Poilievre's opposition to "biological males" in female spaces like sport leagues, washrooms and changerooms. Interestingly, the duo note, this position is not panning out to be even a two-day news story when only a few years ago, such statements would have destroyed a politician. The Line then chat about Dr. Phil on Joe Rogan. Did a Canadian parliamentarian really argue that there are no "parental rights" in Canada? Is that true? They then admit to having conflicted feelings over the fall of Vice, which announced this week that it would be no more. Is this a case of "go woke, go broke?" For a final ramble, Jen Gerson gets into Alberta's moratorium on renewable energy but, frankly, we admit, the jerking off segment of this podcast is better. So yeah. Come for the politics. Stay for the masturbation references.#PierrePoilievre #Conservative #JustinTrudeau #Canada #cdnPoli #politics  #JoeRogan #DrPhil #Dr.Phil #Trans #Bathrooms #s210 #AgeGate #Porn #gooncave #Vice #GoWokeGoBroke