The Line

Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson
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The Line is a Canadian magazine dedicated to covering local, national and international politics, news, current events and occasionally some obscure stories.  Hosted by Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Liberals are the best politicians in our broken country

    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 decision to cross the floor. Jen wonders if, at a human level, it may have come down to something as simple as being treated with a bit of kindness. Matt takes a colder view, arguing that the Liberals are simply better at politics, full stop. Until the Conservatives and New Democrats figure out how to compete on those terms, he suggests, the Liberals will keep winning — no matter how angry voters get about the obvious hypocrisy of moves like this one. From there, the conversation turns to what both hosts see as a deeper problem: Canada’s broken accountability mechanisms. Matt runs through a series of examples, while Jen focuses more on the media’s role in allowing this situation to develop. As they describe it, the traditional “accountability wolves” have effectively been penned up and turned into zoo exhibits. Both agree on what might actually force change — a harsher, more confrontational political culture that relies on shame, embarrassment, and fear to drive accountability. Think American MAGA podcasters doing livestreams from overcrowded Canadian emergency rooms or savage British columnists ripping apart our civil servants. But they’re skeptical that Canada’s political and media establishment, which they argue created the current system by prioritizing niceness over effectiveness back when things were easier in Canada, would ever allow that kind of environment to take root. Finally, Matt throws Jen a curveball. Drawing on a pair of recent news stories, he floats a new theory about why aliens are suddenly back in the conversation. Jen is delighted. As always, The Line remains firmly pro-alien. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. #TheLinePodcast #CanadianPolitics #LiberalConvention #MarilynGladu #FloorCrossing #PoliticalAccountability #MediaCriticism #CanadaPolitics #PoliticalCulture #Aliens

    1hr 15min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    America will be effin' back — but not for a while

    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 — and a wide-ranging discussion about the United States’ role in the world, the strain on Western alliances, and what comes next. Hertling is, at heart, an optimist. He believes American leadership in the Western alliance can recover, even after years of damage, but cautions that rebuilding trust with allies will take time — likely a generation. Matt is a bit less optimistic, but confesses he believes that America, a country he loves, will at least try. The two discuss what went wrong, what can realistically be repaired, and why the long-term trajectory may still bend back toward stability. The conversation also turns personal. Hertling speaks about his latest book, If I Don't Return, which reflects on the life lessons he wanted to leave behind for his sons in case he didn’t return from war. It’s an emotional segment that resonated deeply with Matt, who has been thinking a great deal about what parents leave behind for their children in recent months.  It’s a thoughtful, and at times moving, conversation about leadership, legacy, and whether the West can find its footing again. To order a copy of the general's book, click here. And to see more from Matt and The Line, go to ReadTheLine.ca. #OnTheLine #MarkHertling #USPolitics #Geopolitics #Leadership #Military #NATO #Alliances #Parenting #MattGurney

    42 min

  3. 3 APR

    Take us with you, astronauts

    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 really is the best side of America (with a little bit of Canada!) on display. And then there is the other side of America! They check in on the state of the war in the Persian Gulf, as well as a recent speech by Donald Trump that neither host found particularly reassuring. The overall trajectory worries them, though Matt does offer some grounded analysis. Put simply, he’s not expecting Canada to be leading any clearance mission through the Strait of Hormuz. From there, Jen provides an update from Alberta, where recent developments have left her feeling vindicated, albeit in a grim way. They discuss at some length why Jen struggles to convince people of things that are quite obvious; Matt pivots from political analysis to therapy and encourages her to be more comfortable accepting that you can't always argue people into seeing things your way. The conversation then shifts to federal politics, with Matt arguing that Mark Carney needs to tighten up his government’s communications before he starts squandering some of the advantages he still enjoys early in his mandate. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all our Line family!  #TheLinePodcast #ArtemisII #SpaceExploration #CanadianPolitics #MarkCarney #AlbertaPolitics #PersianGulf #DonaldTrump #Geopolitics #CurrentAffairs

    1hr 12min

  4. 31 MAR

    Jason Kenney talks Alberta separatism

    Today on On The Line with your host Jen Gerson, we talk about the rise of Alberta separatism with former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.  This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can't see your own territory, you can't defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme cold demands technology no one else can deliver. See everything. Defend what matters. Dominion Dynamics. Learn more at DefendtheDominion.com. The former Conservative Party cabinet minister has become an unwitting spokesperson for conservative federalists in the province as the petition to generate enough names to force a separation referendum continues across Alberta. We talk about the deep roots of populism in Alberta, including the merger between the Wildrose and the old Progressive Conservative Party. Gerson asks the former premier some tough questions about how we got here. Why have generations of Alberta's leaders tried to tap the populist well? And will this vote be the time they tapped the anger of western alienation too deep.  #Canada #Alberta #Separatism #JasonKenney #Populism #Referendum #thelinepodcast

    1hr 2min

  5. 27 MAR

    Carney's got a new China problem

    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. They’re careful not to accuse Ma of anything beyond saying something China would have been happy to hear, but they also note that the Conservatives are likely to seize on it and not let go. What sweet revenge that will be (given which party Mr. Ma oh-so-recently belonged to). More broadly, the conversation widens into a darker assessment of Canada’s political health, with Matt arriving at a bleak conclusion: our only remaining, functional mechanism of domestic political accountability increasingly seems to be ... the United States. From there, the hosts turn to the latest Air Canada bilingualism controversy, centring on Air Canada. Jen offers a characteristically blunt take: Canada keeps returning to language fights, she argues, because they function as a kind of political comfort food — something familiar and easy to argue about while avoiding much harder conversations about a world that is becoming more unstable and dangerous. Matt doesn’t have much of a rebuttal to that. Maybe the Americans can fix that for us, too? Finally, the discussion shifts back to the United States. Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience gets a positive review from both hosts, who see it as a smart move. Jen also shares highlights from a recent trip south, including a rare opportunity to tour the West Wing and the Oval Office. She comes away with a mix of impressions — some good, some less so — and offers a few observations that listeners won’t hear anywhere else. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. #TheLinePodcast #CanadianPolitics #MarkCarney #ChinaRelations #AirCanada #Bilingualism #PierrePoilievre #JoeRogan #CanadaUSRelations #Geopolitics

    1hr 16min

  6. 24 MAR

    Are we building Canada?

    In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Lucy Hargreaves, CEO of Build Canada, a non-partisan organization devoted to helping Canada overcome its productivity challenges.  This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Dominion Dynamics. Canada has never had true sovereign awareness of our North. Vast parts of our country are a blind spot. And when you can't see your own territory, you can't defend it, secure it, or respond when threats emerge. Dominion Dynamics is changing that. Dominion Dynamics is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. Dominion is starting in the Arctic, where extreme cold demands technology no one else can deliver. See everything. Defend what matters. Dominion Dynamics. Learn more at defend the dominion dot com. They speak about why Canada no build good; what's holding the country back, brain drain, and the lost Trudeau decade. Hargreaves, a former Liberal staffer, speaks to Gerson about her moment of disillusionment with the previous Liberal government. Is Donald Trump the cause of Canada's woes, or a convenient scapegoat for our own inability to get our economic house in order? Lastly, what does a former Liberal staffer think about the new Carney government?  #BuildCanada #Tech #Liberal #Politics #thelinepodcast

    46 min

  7. 17 MAR

    Politics in Canada, cyberwar in the U.S. and Iran

    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 Conservative Party of Canada and why Pierre Poilievre appears to be reinventing himself yet again — even if the effort doesn’t seem to be gaining much traction. Gurney and Jack also dig into the latest polling on separatist sentiment and political change in both Alberta and Quebec, and what those numbers do and don’t actually mean. This episode of On The Line is brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. In a volatile world, Canada has to focus on what we can control right here at home. Prime Minister Carney says a country that can’t build itself has few options. The forest products sector provides the literal building blocks for our country — from the lumber and wood products to build new homes and infrastructure; to pulp and paper for household and business use; to the renewable power we need to support energy security. We’re already a global trade success story, and we’re ready to do more to build a resilient, self-reliant country. It’s time to focus on Canada’s domestic strengths. Learn more at www.fpac.ca. After that, Matt is joined by David Shipley, CEO of Beauceron Security and the show’s go-to cybersecurity guy, to discuss the cyber dimension of the new Persian Gulf war. Shipley explains how the conflict opened with a remarkably effective cyber campaign by Israel and the United States, but is now evolving into a cycle of retaliation. That includes Iranian counterattacks and a particularly damaging strike against a major U.S. medical company, offering a glimpse of how cyber warfare increasingly intersects with real-world conflict. All that, plus the usual On The Line conversation about politics, strategy, and the strange times we’re living through. Check us out at ReadTheLine.ca, and don't forget to like and subscribe. #OnTheLine #CanadaPolitics #Ipsos #FederalPolling #PierrePoilievre #Alberta #Quebec #CyberSecurity #CyberWar #MiddleEast #MattGurney

    57 min

  8. 13 MAR

    In stunning move, police will enforce the law

    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 hold him to a minority? They also discuss the government’s latest Arctic announcement, which Matt notes isn’t especially new. He’s frustrated that a leader recycling old announcements may still lock up the majority that will allow him to govern largely as he wishes for the next three years. The conversation then turns to the war in the Middle East. Jen brings some personal perspective to the discussion — many listeners may not realize that she lived in the region early in her career and still has many friends there. She shares some of what she’s hearing from people close to the unfolding conflict. At the same time, both hosts reflect on how strange the war feels from afar. Perhaps, they suggest, all of us — hosts and audience alike — are slowly becoming desensitized to events that would have seemed shocking and horrific not that long ago. The final segment takes an unexpected turn. It starts with Matt throwing Jen a conversational curveball: Hitler. You’ll have to tune in to hear exactly why that came up. But while they’re recording, breaking news emerges from Toronto, and the discussion shifts abruptly. Matt vents some frustration about what he sees as inadequate action to protect the city’s Jewish community, and some of that frustration spills out on air. He also makes, only reluctantly, an observation that he hopes no one in the White House hears, in case they use it against us. Jen laughs. She likes the chaos. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca.  #TheLinePodcast #CanadianPolitics #MarkCarney #CanadaElection #MiddleEastWar #ArcticSecurity #TorontoNews #CanadianConservatives #Geopolitics #CurrentAffairs

    1hr 15min
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About

The Line is a Canadian magazine dedicated to covering local, national and international politics, news, current events and occasionally some obscure stories.  Hosted by Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Line
  • Show Website
    The Line

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