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The Line

The Line

Auteur(s): 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.

© 2026 The Line Politique
Épisodes
  • If the deal sucks, Carney is in trouble

    If the deal sucks, Carney is in trouble
    Aug 21 2026
    In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 21st, 2026, Matt Gurney joins remotely from Chicago as he makes his way home to Canada after a family event. Sorry, elbows uppers.This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers.To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.comThe first segment is, admittedly, a bit of a placeholder. Until there is an actual Canada-U.S. trade deal to read, it's difficult to have firm opinions about it — assuming there even is a deal. Your hosts walk through what's been reported so far and explain why they're reserving judgment until the details are public. That said, Matt highlights one rumoured provision that, if true, would represent a uniquely Canadian style of spectacularly self-inflicted policy failure. For the deeper analysis, look for Sunday's Dispatch.This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage.Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how.Find them Fractional-Execs.ca.Next, Matt and Jen examine the early political reaction to both the negotiations themselves and the rumours surrounding the deal. Both were struck by comments this week from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. With a combination of clarity and folksy charm, Kinew articulated what your hosts believe is the strongest criticism of Mark Carney's handling of the America file they've heard so far. They're not suggesting Kinew is about to jump into federal politics. He doesn't need to. If someone can make a compelling case that this deal is bad for Canada, Carney could find himself under pressure from both the left and the right.This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that limit Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer.Today: Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. A biomanufacturing industry, like any other industry, does not appear at the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen. Simply allocating money to a new economic development program doesn’t replace the years of effort necessary to help a sector put down lasting roots. Canada already has many building blocks in place. For example, infrastructure developed for pandemic readiness after COVID, and money invested in research facilities across Canada, can be leveraged to give us a head start — but they need to be coordinated and given steady work.BioCanRx supports core Canadian biomanufacturing facilities and connects them with active Canadian research projects, making sure both sides have resources and the chance to gain experience. But more activity is needed to ensure these facilities can build up expertise, maintain readiness, and foster innovation. Building this capacity can position Canada to develop new drugs more quickly — and to be ready for a health emergency, all while delivering products to Canadian patients today.There are promising paradigm shifts on the horizon that could change the way we manufacture biologic products like immunotherapies. More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.Finally, Matt reflects on his recent travels through the United States. There are many ways Canada will never compete directly with America — they're simply bigger and richer. But there are also areas where Canada once had a visible edge and has quietly lost it. Chicago has always had more crime and a higher murder rate than Toronto. That's nothing new. What is new, Matt argues, is that downtown Chicago is now noticeably cleaner and better maintained than downtown Toronto. That's not a consequence of American military power, economic dominance, or Donald Trump. That's a Canadian policy failure. And the really damning part? Downtown Detroit is cleaner than Toronto now, too.All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast...
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    1 h et 5 min
  • It's time for Canada to abandon a cherished national myth

    It's time for Canada to abandon a cherished national myth
    Aug 18 2026
    In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for conversations about service, sacrifice, and Canada’s place in the world.This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that limit Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. Today: Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. A biomanufacturing industry, like any other industry, does not appear at the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen. Simply allocating money to a new economic development program doesn’t replace the years of effort necessary to help a sector put down lasting roots. Canada already has many building blocks in place. For example, infrastructure developed for pandemic readiness after COVID, and money invested in research facilities across Canada, can be leveraged to give us a head start –– but they need to be coordinated and given steady work. BioCanRx supports core Canadian biomanufacturing facilities and connects them with active Canadian research projects, making sure both sides have resources and the chance to gain experience. But more activity is needed to ensure these facilities can build up expertise, maintain readiness, and foster innovation. Building this capacity can position Canada to develop new drugs more quickly –– and to be ready for a health emergency, all while delivering products to Canadian patients today. There are promising paradigm shifts on the horizon that could change the way we manufacture biologic products like immunotherapies. More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.First up is Anthony Robb, a 24-year veteran of the Canadian Army who now serves with Canada Company. He joins Matt to discuss the organization’s work strengthening the connection between Canadians and their military, and why that relationship matters more than ever. They also talk about one of Canada Company’s most meaningful initiatives: supporting the children of Canadian Armed Forces members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country, and ensuring those families know their sacrifices have not been forgotten. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canada’s resilience will not be built through diversified trade and good intentions alone. It will be built with strong domestic supply chains, reliable Canadian materials, and industries that invest in workers and communities here at home.Two months ago, the federal government acknowledged the Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report and the practical path it set out. Now the focus must be action. Canada’s forest products sector can help deliver the homes, infrastructure, and economic potential the country needs. But that requires predictable access to manage our forests, transportation systems that work, and a regulatory environment that rewards investment rather than delays it. The direction is clear. Now Ottawa needs to turn recognition into results.Learn more at FPAC.ca.Then Matt is joined by Peter Jones, professor of international relations at the University of Ottawa, for a conversation about one of Canada’s most enduring national stories. Canadians often describe their country as a “middle power,” but Jones argues that label hasn’t accurately described Canada for quite some time. If we aren’t a middle power anymore, what are we? And, more importantly, what should we aspire to be in a world that is becoming less stable, more competitive, and increasingly defined by great-power rivalry? For more on the professor's thoughts on this topic, please read his recent essay in The Walrus.This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com.If you like this — or hey, even if you hated it, we don't mind — check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Be sure to like and subscribe!#OnTheLine #CanadaCompany #CanadianForces #Veterans #AnthonyRobb #PeterJones #ForeignPolicy #CanadaPolitics #NationalSecurity #MattGurney
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    1 h et 2 min
  • Carney can fight now, or he should surrender

    Carney can fight now, or he should surrender
    Aug 14 2026
    In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 14th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with a lengthy discussion of the state of the Canada–U.S. trade war. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers.To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.comYour hosts are in complete agreement: Canada should not accept a bad deal. A bad deal wouldn't buy lasting peace, they argue — it would simply set the stage for the next round of American demands. In their view, there is no stable middle ground. Canada either resists now or surrenders now. They also examine the unusual political psychology of the Americans currently running the White House, while cautioning listeners not to expect salvation from the Democrats. A future Democratic administration may be less abrasive, but it won't undo the underlying shift in American policy. As Matt puts it, quoting the late Chris Cornell, "Arm yourselves because no one else here will save you." That includes the likes of Gavin Newsom and Chuck Schumer.This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage.Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how.Find them Fractional-Execs.ca.From there, the hosts turn to Alberta and a fascinating Toronto Star investigation tracking the flow of money supporting the separatist movement. The reporting closely matches what both Line editors had already concluded independently. Jen offers an update from the ground in Alberta, while Matt steps back to consider the national implications. Both arrive at the same frustrating conclusion: it would be helpful if Canada's institutions were capable of recognizing foreign interference when it was happening. Recent history suggests we're not only bad at it — we don't even seem particularly interested in trying.Finally, Matt and Jen close with a friendly disagreement over the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Mark Carney's vacation in Italy. They don't see eye to eye, and by the end of the conversation it's clear Matt is unlikely to invite Jen along on his next European vacation. If you'd like to help fund that hypothetical trip, your hosts suggest the usual: like, subscribe, and donate generously.This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit. This summer, BioCanRx and The Line have been talking about potential solutions for the problems that are limiting Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer.We ask a lot of Canadian cancer researchers. The work required to discover new therapies for numerous diseases, and get them to patients, costs far more than the half-billion dollars invested in cancer research by all levels of government and charities — and often the available grants specialize in only one part of the spectrum: discovery. We need to be sure we’re supporting researchers at every step of this complex scientific and regulatory process.BioCanRx has proved you can meaningfully support this part. The entire team is only 12 people, but they know what it takes to do things like submit a clinical trial application or safely manufacture a drug, so the researchers they fund are held to firm, realistic standards that make sense in the real world of Canadian health-care systems and industry. That’s how a tiny not-for-profit has helped bring 16 new drugs to clinical trials that have treated more than 400 people in just 10 years.But research is only one part of the puzzle — can we manufacture new therapies in Canada? More on that next time.Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast.#TheLinePodcast#MarkCarney#CanadaUSRelations#TradeWar#CanadianPolitics#AlbertaPolitics#ForeignInterference#GavinNewsom#ChuckSchumer#CurrentAffairs
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    1 h et 21 min
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