The Line Podcast

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on April 10th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with Jen reporting in from Montreal, where she’s attending the Liberal convention. The first segment focuses on the vibe in the room — confident, even a little triumphalist — and what that says about the party’s current position. A large part of the discussion centres on Marilyn Gladu’s decis...

In this episode of On The Line , Matt Gurney speaks with Mark Hertling, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, former commander of U.S. Army Europe, and a longtime commentator on military affairs and leadership. The conversation begins with an unusual connection. Hertling had referenced one of Matt’s columns in a recent speech, which a Line reader flagged and sent along. That led to an invitation...

In this episode of The Line Podcast , recorded a day early on April 2nd, 2026 ahead of the Easter long weekend, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open by saluting the departure of Artemis II on its journey to the Moon. Jen finds herself unexpectedly emotional about it, and the hosts spend some time reflecting on why moments like this matter — and why it’s still important to hold on to a sense of hope. It...

Today on On The Line , host Jen Gerson sits down with former Alberta premier Jason Kenney for a conversation about the rise of separatist sentiment in Alberta. Kenney, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, has found himself cast as an unlikely spokesperson for conservative federalists in the province as efforts continue to gather signatures for a referendum on separation. He reflects on...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on March 26th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open with what they’re calling Mark Carney’s new China problem. They both understand why the government is trying to maintain a workable relationship with China, but they’re struck by how one Liberal MP, Michael Ma, ended up sounding very much like someone echoing Beijing’s preferred talking points...

In this episode of On The Line , host Jen Gerson speaks with Lucy Hargreaves, CEO of Build Canada, a non-partisan group focused on tackling the country’s productivity challenges. They dig into a deceptively simple question: why Canada no build good? From stalled projects to brain drain, they explore what’s holding the country back and whether the so-called lost Trudeau decade has left deeper struc...

In this episode of On The Line , host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests to break down the latest in politics and geopolitics. First up is Gregory Jack, senior vice president of public affairs at Ipsos, for a full update on the federal polling landscape. The latest numbers show the Liberal Party of Canada opening up a significant lead, raising questions about what has gone wrong for the Conservat...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on March 13th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with federal politics. Mark Carney appears to be on track to secure a majority government, and your hosts wonder whether he truly deserves it. Has the country actually improved much over the last year, or have the Conservatives simply squandered their opportunity not only to win, but even to...

In this episode of On The Line , host Jen Gerson sits down with Michael Geist, a professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the country’s leading voices on digital policy. They begin with the latest United States Trade Priority Report, which singled out controversial Canadian legislation such as Online Streaming Act (Bill C‑11) as a major digital dispute complicating negotiations between Can...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on March 6th, 2026, your hosts agree at the outset to avoid talking about Alberta for once, because Jen really needs a break. Fortunately, there was plenty else happening this week. Today’s episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Engage, the new door-to-door canvassing app from Geppetto Technologies. Engage makes it effortless to go kno...

In today’s episode of On The Line , host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests to discuss the new war unfolding in the Middle East. First up is Bill Roggio, editor of The Long War Journal and a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Roggio gives Matt the view from the United States: why Washington chose to strike now, the risks of an early withdrawal, and why he doesn’t see a coherent...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on February 27th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with a close look at what Pierre Poilievre had to say at the Economic Club in downtown Toronto this week. Matt liked much of the speech, aside from one section he considers pure fantasyland. Jen is far less impressed overall. Both hosts agree the message might have landed better a year ago...

In this episode of On The Line , host Jen Gerson sits down with Jesse Brown, founder of Canadaland, to talk about his latest series, What’s Going On Here . Brown’s new project examines the rise of antisemitism in Canada in the wake of the war in Gaza, and asks difficult questions about where the line lies between legitimate political protest and harassment of Jewish Canadians. What is protected ex...

In today’s episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on February 20th, 2026, Jen Gerson regretfully informs Matt Gurney that the province of Alberta is, politically speaking, on fire. (Matt thinks she meant politically speaking.) Matt is suitably alarmed. Jen walks him through her concerns in detail, reading direct quotes from recent statements that do little to reassure either of them. Matt responds...

Today on On The Line , host Jen Gerson sits down with longtime friend and Calgarian Paul Hughes, who left his comfortable life in Alberta to help in Ukraine at the outbreak of war four years ago. Hughes, joined early on by his son Mac, has witnessed both the extraordinary courage and the relentless heartbreak of the Ukrainian people. His son was seriously injured. Hughes himself was kidnapped by R...

In today’s episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on February 13th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open with a look at Donald Trump leaning hard into his Art of the Deal approach to pressure Canada over the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Neither host is impressed, and neither thinks the tactic is likely to succeed. They also discuss the threat to pull out of the CUSMA trade agreement and sugg...

Today on On The Line , host Jen Gerson speaks with Stéphane Dion — noted federalist, former Liberal Party leader, academic, and diplomat — about what secession from Canada actually entails as separatist sentiment gains renewed attention in Alberta. As the architect of the Clarity Act, Dion brings a unique perspective to the debate, walking through the legal, political, and practical realities of w...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on February 6th, 2025, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with another close look at separatist pressures in Alberta and the political forces forming around them. Jen spends considerable time unpacking how the various players are organizing and aligning, and both hosts admit they’re surprised the federalist side isn’t better coordinated. That said...

Today on On The Line , Matt Gurney is joined by Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, for an extended, wide-ranging conversation recorded in the library of the Royal Canadian Military Institute in downtown Toronto. The discussion ranges across geopolitics, the state of the world, the state of Canada’s navy, what’s going right for the fleet, and what still needs to impro...

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on January 30, 2026, one of your hosts starts with a literal public safety announcement. Line editor Gurney was the victim of attempted identity theft this week (like he doesn’t have enough going on) and some Line readers may have received bizarre messages claiming to be from me. They weren’t! He promises! From there, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson...

This week on On The Line , host Jen Gerson sits down with Gregory Jack, senior vice president of public affairs at Ipsos, to talk about separatist sentiment in Alberta and Quebec — and what it actually means. Ipsos has just released an in-depth survey examining support for separation in both provinces. As in previous polling, about 30 per cent of Albertans say they would vote to leave Canada. But...

In today’s episode of The Line Podcast , recorded on January 23rd, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson are finally reunited after Matt’s long absence. Matt briefly explains where he’s been ( you can see his full statement here ) and thanks The Line ’s audience for their patience and support before the conversation turns to the biggest stories of the week. As Jen notes, it’s a perfect moment for Matt...

The world is burning, and so we don't blame anyone for missing another piece of really bad news. Jerome Powell, the head of the U.S. federal reserve, is being threatened by criminal indictments in connection with recent testimony about an expensive office renovation. Powell has come right out and said the threats are nothing more than an attempt to put external pressure on the fed to lower the int...

Breaking news: Canada agrees to cut its tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products — and Ontario premier Doug Ford is positively pissed. In this week’s show, host Jen Gerson sat down with The Line Alberta’s Rob Breakenridge to tape a live episode at the Saskatchewan Crops Forum. It was recorded in front of a live audience in Saskatoon on Wednesday, and wh...

Today on On The Line , host Jen Gerson is joined by Heather Exner-Pirot, Director of Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, for a wide-ranging conversation about geopolitics, energy, and whether the sky is really falling. Exner-Pirot does her level best to check some of Gerson’s winter blues as they work through the implications of the U.S. capture of Venezu...