In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with Jared Wesley and Ken Boessenkool, two members of the Lead Not Leave initiative, for a conversation about the current state of Alberta separatism and the province’s uncertain political future.

While recent polling has suggested that support for outright separation may be softer than some headlines imply, neither Wesley nor Boessenkool is particularly sanguine about the outcome of the coming referendum campaign. They argue that low turnout and voter suppression could produce a result that overstates support for separatism, creating a misleading picture of where Albertans actually stand.

The discussion also examines the changing relationship between Alberta and Ottawa, and whether recent improvements between the provincial and federal governments have meaningfully reduced the political grievances that have fuelled separatist sentiment. They explore the concept of moral hazard in Canadian federalism, the incentives facing provincial leaders, and whether those dynamics are helping—or hurting—the cause of national unity.

Finally, Gerson asks what happens after the vote. Whatever the result, will the United Conservative Party be able to hold together, or are the internal tensions that have defined Alberta conservatism for years becoming too great to contain?

As always, check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca — and never, ever forget to like and subscribe!

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In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 7th, 2026, Matt Gurney is joined by guest host Scott Stinson, filling in for Jen Gerson. They begin with the latest twists in Canada-U.S. relations, asking just how much Prime Minister Mark Carney can concede to the Americans before the political costs become too high at home. Both hosts suspect the answer is probably more than many Canadians would expect. They also discuss how fortunate Carney is to be making these decisions while facing relatively weak opposition, with Pierre Poilievre enduring another difficult week. Matt explains why the Conservative leader continues to struggle to gain traction.

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The conversation then shifts to Ontario politics, where many of the same themes are playing out. It should be a quiet summer at Queen’s Park, but instead the Ford government finds itself taking hits from all directions, including from an opposition party that doesn’t currently have a permanent leader. Matt and Scott discuss why the Ontario NDP appears so adrift. New Democratic governments are commonplace elsewhere in Canada, so why does the party remain unable to break through in Ontario, even with Doug Ford leading the PCs and the Liberals still searching for direction? Matt has a theory.

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Finally, Scott brings listeners up to speed on the growing controversy surrounding Gianni Infantino and FIFA. The discussion broadens into a look at why major sports organizations seem almost inevitably to attract corruption—and why it’s so fascinating to watch the rare moments when those organizations actually decide to push back.

This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx, a Canadian not-for-profit working to help Canadian researchers and companies develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer.

A key challenge for Canada will be familiar to anyone trying to grow a business here: we have some of the brightest people in the world, we just can’t keep enough of them. Canada is home to researchers making breakthrough discoveries every day. But bringing a new therapy from the lab to patients takes more than great science. It also requires specialists who know how to manufacture complex products, navigate regulatory approval, and help new treatments be integrated into the health-care system. Too often, that expertise leaves Canada before the work is done.

BioCanRx has supported hands-on training for more than 900 trainees over the past decade, but without a strong domestic industry, retention becomes a challenge. So how do we keep these highly-skilled people? Next time we’ll talk about how changing what we incentivize can maximize the impact of research money Canada already spends to sustain more drug development here in Canada. For now, go to BioCanRx.com to learn more.

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:37 Can Carney keep conceding? (Yup!)
26:39 Fall of Ford
48:34 FIFA WTF

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