In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson devote the first segment to a full catch-up on the increasingly wild situation unfolding in Alberta. Jen is furious, arguing that five million people — and indeed the entire country — are now being dragged through this largely because Danielle Smith is trying to save her political career. She’s equally angry at parts of the political right that, in her view, are repeating the mistakes the left made during the peak of woke politics: refusing to challenge allies and friends when things start getting out of control. Still, both hosts agree that now that the fight is fully underway, the issues can at least finally be debated openly. Jen states plainly, with Matt’s agreement, that The Line holds an explicitly federalist position. You've been warned.

In the second segment, the hosts discuss some of the major personalities shaping events, including Smith, Naheed Nenshi, Jason Kenney, and Pierre Poilievre. Jen also flags a particular political group that listeners should keep an eye on. Matt spends part of the segment stress-testing two of Jen’s arguments, offering an interpretation of Smith’s conduct that could potentially prove constructive, and sketching out a possible good-news scenario that Jen reluctantly entertains. He doesn't think he sold her.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also 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 conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.

Defend the Dominion. Dominion Dynamics.

Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.

To close, your hosts briefly revisit last week’s CBC controversy, which has only become worse as additional targets — including retired RCMP officers — have emerged. The CBC says it has halted funding and launched a review, but neither host believes that will resolve the problem. Both agree that media organizations tend to forget everything they know about how the media works the moment they become the story themselves. Speaking of institutional trouble, Matt closes by asking, only half jokingly, whether the CRTC could perhaps avoid declaring war on the United States for at least the next month or so. If it's not too much trouble.

All that and more on the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check us out at ReadTheLine.ca, and God help us all.

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In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, about the increasingly tense state of Canada-U.S. trade relations.

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 is building a sovereign command and control capability that lets Canada and its allies see, respond, and defend across every domain. We started in the Arctic, where extreme conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.

Threats don’t wait for bureaucracy. They are moving faster than our institutions. Dominion is closing that gap. Speed is now the strategic capability, and Dominion Dynamics is proving you can build capability at the speed of the threat.

Defend the dominion. Dominion Dynamics.

Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.

They discuss the ongoing negotiations around CUSMA, what could happen if the United States ultimately decides to walk away from the deal, and why Canada doesn’t have the luxury of negotiating these disputes loudly or publicly. Volpe explains the deeply integrated nature of the North American auto sector, and why a full reshoring of American automotive manufacturing would be far more disruptive — and far less realistic — than many politicians seem to believe.

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Electro-Federation Canada. Canada’s clean electricity grid gives us a competitive edge in attracting global investment — but to maintain that advantage our system needs to break down barriers and unlock the grid. Aging infrastructure, supply chain constraints, and outdated regulations threaten our ability to expand and modernize the grid — essential components of meeting future capacity needs. Electro-Federation Canada has developed a research-backed roadmap for grid readiness focused on smart policy and regulatory alignment. To learn more, visit MakeTheSwitch.ElectroFed.com.

The conversation also touches on the political theatre surrounding the talks, including recent comments from Howard Lutnick suggesting that Canada “sucks” at negotiating. Gerson asks Volpe directly: is there any truth to that criticism, or are Canadians underestimating the constraints they’re operating under?

It’s a practical discussion about trade, manufacturing, political leverage, and the realities of economic interdependence between Canada and the United States.

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by ACDC. Canada’s defence industrial base is fragmented. Critical platforms are owned and controlled abroad. That model doesn’t work anymore.

The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies is rebuilding Canada’s sovereign defence-industrial base. ACDC champions Canadian-owned, Canadian-controlled companies that design, build, sustain, and export next-generation defence systems. Change requires new processes, new policies, and new behaviour. ACDC membership is open to Canadian-controlled defence companies ready to lead that change.

To join, email Info@AllianceCanada.com.

#OnTheLine #Canada #US #Trade #CUSMA #USMCA #Auto #FlavioVolpe #CanadaPolitics #JenGerson

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 15, 2026, your hosts Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson start with Alberta. The new energy agreement has been signed. They think it'll help, but only to an extent, because what's happening in Jen's province isn't primarily economic. It's cultural. And a pipeline can't fix that.

Next, they talk a bizarre story where the CBC (and APTN) chose to bankroll a so-called comedy group that was trying to "satirize" prominent people from Canada's heterodox right-wing, such as Frances Widdowson and Lindsay Shepherd. Your hosts walk you through the huge number of concerns here, but focus mostly on the CBC's role. This is not a good look for the public broadcaster, and guess what? The people your hosts have spoken among CBC's journalists get that. Very much so. Why didn't their bosses see the danger?

This episode of The Line Podcast is also 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 conditions demand technology no one else can deliver.

Defend the Dominion. Dominion Dynamics.

Learn more at DefendTheDominion.com.

To wrap, they chat briefly about a few overlapping stories that suggest that the world has started to tune Donald Trump out. Matt wonders if that's going to work out — how will Americans, particularly MAGA Americans, end up getting what they want: a world that doesn't rely on American leadership, because we've tuned them out entirely?

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Happy Victoria Day! We'll talk to you next week.

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#AlbertaPolitics
#CanadianPolitics
#CBC
#DonaldTrump
#CanadaEnergy
#PipelinePolitics
#MAGA
#MediaCriticism
#CanadaUSRelations