In this episode of On The Line, two big conversations on two critical topics: housing and national security.

First up: Mike Moffatt. Mike is one of Canada’s leading housing experts. He’s a professor at Western University’s Ivey Business School, senior director at the Smart Prosperity Institute, and host of the Missing Middle podcast. Matt talks to Mike about the state of Canada’s housing market, why prices are crashing in Toronto and Vancouver, and why that’s both a good and a bad sign. They cover policy, affordability, investor behaviour, and what governments are still getting wrong — and right — about how to fix it.

Our next guest is Glenn Cowan. Glenn is a venture capitalist, a former special operations officer, and the founder of ONE9 — a firm investing in dual-use technologies that serve both national security and commercial markets. Glenn joins the show to talk about Canada’s defence industrial base, why doing national security innovation in this country is so hard, and what the future of warfare looks like. He shares lessons from his experience in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa — and explains why Canada needs to be far more serious about the technologies and partnerships that will shape the next generation of global conflict.

As Canadians take time to relax, remember: the Métis helped build this country under the July sun. To learn more, visit OntarioMetisFacts.com.

All that and more on On The Line. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, follow us on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to leave us a nice review. Audio drops every Tuesday morning, with video rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and our social channels. Catch it wherever you listen or watch.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on July 11, 2025, your hosts are back together! Matt returns from Europe and Jen gets him caught up. First up: a full debrief on this year’s Calgary Stampede. Matt wants to talk breakfast, but Jen wants to talk vibes — and this year, the CPC was a much quieter, more cautious presence than last. Poilievre showed up and got the applause you'd expect from a friendly crowd, but even some Conservatives are starting to quietly admit … Carney’s off to a strong start.

Next, Matt shares what actually made news in Europe: a bit about Trump, some sad headlines out of Texas, but very little from Canada. The biggest political storyline back home? The NDP is hunting for a new leader, and neither Matt nor Jen can think of anyone likely to win.

To wrap up, Matt offers a few unsentimental takeaways from his European trip. No postcard clichés, just a growing unease: even cities with reputations for being gritty are starting to look better — cleaner, safer, more orderly — than some of Canada’s big cities. Are we losing ground without realizing it? Would Canadians ever accept it even if we were?

Oh. And. This is a bit of an aside. But. We discuss why Elizabeth May should not be given a gun. All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca.

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb.

Everyone agrees that Canada needs to take real action to tackle the housing crisis, but only a few people argue that short-term rentals like Airbnb are part of that solution. Countless experts have argued that short term rental regulation is nothing more than a distraction, with the Harvard Business Review recently saying that “Put simply, restricting Airbnb is not going to be an effective tool for solving the housing-affordability problems.” This makes sense when you consider two key statistics: Canada needs 5.8 million homes to reach affordability by 2030, and Airbnb’s account for only 0.6% of Canada’s overall housing stock. The closer you look the clearer it gets that Canada needs bold action that addresses the entire housing market, not just 0.6% of it. Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

In this week's On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks to journalist and author Paul Palango, whose recent book, Anatomy of a Cover Up, lists shocking allegations about the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre.

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario.

It's Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 1849. Before court cases and commissions, before Canada was Canada, Métis communities in the Upper Great Lakes wrote petitions. Métis men signed their names beneath a statement to the Crown. They wrote to protect their rights, and their identity. They wrote because they would not be ignored. They were hunters, trappers, fishermen, voyageurs, and War of 1812 veterans. Like their cousins in Red River, who’d petition and resist inthe decades that followed, the Métis in the Upper Great Lakes knew how to use the tools of diplomacy.

To the West, in Batoche, St. Albert, and the Red River, Métis leaders like Louis Riel also wrote to be heard. They too signed their names with pride and called on governments to honour promises. This was how the Métis asserted themselves, again and again, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rockies.

The Métis built Canada’s first economy, and willand never stop reminding the Crown of its promises.
Learn more at OntarioMétisFacts.com.

During the worst shooting in Canadian history, 22 people were killed in two separate shooting sprees by Gabriel Wortman. Palango has written two books on the subject, and alleges that not only was Wortman likely an informant or agent of the RCMP, but also that the police force acted improperly to prevent crucial details about the shooting from coming to light.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded very early on June 19, your hosts are making the best of a classic summer situation: we're both gone. Jen is off-grid somewhere. Matt is unplugging on another continent. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging — so we figured we’d get ahead of it.

How do we do that when we can’t talk about the news of the day?

We don’t even try!

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

That’s right. Unlike our usual episodes, which we record as close as possible to release, this one was done early. We used the time to go back to a fan-favourite format: answering your questions. These all came from our paid subscribers at ReadTheLine.ca. As always, the questions were great — well, except for some of the crazy ones, which we're just going to politely ignore. (But seriously?) As always, we couldn’t get to all of them. But we got through a lot. Including, as video viewers will notice, a power outage. Sigh.

But let's stay focused on the questions. We talk about our careers. The future of The Line, and its origin story. The state of Canadian journalism, and what can and can't be done about it. Canadian politics, American politics, geopolitics. We field some questions that are lighthearted. Others that are deeply personal. Some answers are thoughtful. Some are silly. One or two may result in regret.

But overall, it was fun. Thanks for taking part in this.

Programming note: The Line Podcast and On The Line will be off next week. No episodes on July 1 or July 4. But back after that. And we will be releasing some content at ReadTheLine.ca this week — something new and fun. (Actually fun.) So be sure to subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and never miss an update.

See you soon, though. And take good care.

This episode of On The Line was recorded in advance, as Matt Gurney is away on summer vacation. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging — so we’ve got two long-form conversations this week that are well worth your time.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. For generations, Métis communities in Ontario helped build Canada’s first great economy — the fur trade. They farmed, traded, raised families, and fought for their rights.

In 1993, they founded the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) to protect their future. In 2003, the Supreme Court affirmed their rights. In 2023, Canada recognized the MNO as the Métis Government in Ontario. Now, with a newly elected federal government, it’s time to move forward.

The MNO is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to advance the government-to-government relationship; resolve outstanding historic Métis claims; improve access to health care, mental health, and addictions services; and invest in Métis housing, education, and infrastructure. Generations of leadership brought us here. It’s time to get it done. Learn more at OntarioMetisFacts.com.

In the first segment, Matt catches up with his old National Post colleague Tristin Hopper, now the author of Don’t Be Canada: How One Country Did Everything Wrong All At Once. They talk about what prompted the book, the reporting moments that pushed him over the edge, and how quickly the world’s view of Canada has shifted. Some readers saw it as a welcome dose of honesty. Others, as a betrayal. Matt gets it — he's had exactly the same reactions whenever he's noted things like "Maybe we shouldn't have so much trash on the sidewalks."

In the second segment, Matt speaks with Mitch Case of the Métis Nation of Ontario about Indigenous rights, especially around resource development. What does “consultation and accommodation” actually mean on the ground? Why do Canadians and Americans keep getting it wrong? Mitch also reflects on the differences between how each country understands (or doesn't understand) its own history — and the frustrations that follow for Indigenous peoples.

Full disclosure: The MNO is an advertising partner for The Line, including for this episode. But this segment is not sponsored content — it was produced through The Line's normal editorial processes, and the MNO did not receive (or ever seek) any special treatment or consideration, and exercised no editorial control over the interview or its contents. They really just were the right people to talk to for this segment!

As always, On The Line drops Tuesday mornings on audio, with video Tuesday evenings on YouTube and our social channels. Like, subscribe, and share — especially across the parking lot.

Thanks for listening. And a programming note: next Tuesday will be Canada Day, a stat holiday, so there will be no episode that week. We'll be back as normal the week after that. Talk to you soon!

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on time on June 20, 2025 — so don't blame us for any catastrophes — Jen Gerson returns from covering the G7 and offers a rare dose of optimism: she’s impressed by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Matt Gurney remains skeptical but gives credit where it's due — Carney has handled everything so far with a steady hand. The question is: can he survive an actual crisis? Or even just some fairly normal politics?

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

The hosts also reflect on Justin Trudeau’s deepening irrelevance and how Carney’s basic competence is already reshaping perceptions. Trump left the summit early, and nobody cared. Jen thinks the British still don’t get what’s changed. And Matt raises, almost as an aside, an important question. Where are the Conservatives? Where is Poilievre? Has anyone noticed? Does anyone care?

In the second segment, the tone shifts. Jen and Matt dive into the ongoing full-scale war between Israel and Iran. Matt lays out the strategic and regional context, while Jen reflects on the eerie echoes of 2003 and Iraq — and why that comparison may do more harm than good this time. They check in on their personal Doom Leaderboards, and while neither thinks the Third World War is imminent, Matt raises the chilling possibility that we may be closer to a nuclear weapon being used than at any point since the Cold War.

Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and follow us on YouTube or your favourite podcast app. New episodes drop every Friday. Don’t forget to leave a nice review, and as always, like and subscribe.

In the latest episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson is joined by Dave Cournoyer — Alberta politics watcher, writer at daveberta.ca, and longtime chronicler of this province’s wilder turns — for a conversation that cuts through the noise and gets to the big question: what is actually going on in Alberta right now?

This episode is brought to you by the Metis Nation of Ontario. It's the Abitibi River, Northern Ontario, 1854. They called it “the Long Portage.”

From the banks of the Abitibi River, Métis voyageurs hauled heavy freight canoes and Hudson’s Bay Company trade goods across miles of forest and muskeg. Their hard work linked Fort Albany and Moose Factory along the James Bay coast with Lake Timiskaming. And, from there, the entire northwest.

As the HBC moved inland from Moose Factory to open and work at posts to the south and west, the Métis “Factory Boys” and their families cut the trail, built the storehouse, and ran the trade. They were guides, interpreters, diplomats, and entrepreneurs.

And they endured. The Métis remained in northern Ontario and in the story of how this country was built. Because Canada is not Canada without the Métis. Today, Métis rights are a settled fact of law in Ontario.

This Indigenous Peoples Month, visit OntarioMétisFacts.com to learn more.

The conversation opens with a serious look at the growing undercurrent of separatist sentiment inside the United Conservative Party. They unpack the emotional pull of independence, the logistical realities of separation, and why this movement — once fringe — is now creeping toward the mainstream. They also explore the federal government’s role in fuelling some of this rage, and how Alberta’s energy economy keeps acting as both asset and anchor.

And then, the inevitable question that must be asked in any progressive conversation in this province: where the hell is Naheed Nenshi? Jen presses Dave on why the Alberta NDP is missing in action while the UCP is rolling out wildly controversial ideas. The moment is ripe. The opportunity is obvious. And yet... nothing.

As always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend, post about it online, or shout it across the parking lot outside the nearest community centre in Calgary. We’ll take it.

And don’t forget: On The Line drops Tuesday mornings on audio, with the video version rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and across our social channels. Prefer to watch? Stay tuned tonight — and follow us to catch the drop.

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next week.

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded (at great risk) a day early on June 12, 2025, Matt and Jen admit they tempted fate. They had to record on Thursday evening due to travel — and even predicted that a war in the Middle East would probably break out while they were offline.

So ... yeah. That happened. And no, they don’t talk about it. But the streak of wild things happening whenever we record early gets extended once more.

What they do talk about is the state of federal politics, the upcoming G7 summit, and Jen’s somewhat surreal experience registering as media for it — an episode in Canadian bureaucratic dysfunction that somehow perfectly encapsulates why Canada no governing good.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

Next, a defence update. There’s good news: they’re genuinely pleased Canada is (finally) hitting the 2% NATO target. But Matt recaps the key points from his On The Line interview with Christian Leuprecht — the 2% goal gets us back to where we promised to be over a decade ago. It doesn’t build the military we need for the world we now live in. Whether Carney has the political will to take the next step is the big question. Also: Jen and Matt invent a cursed, unpronounceable new military acronym. You’re welcome, DND.

Finally, they respond to Andrew Potter’s latest column on harm reduction. The conversation broadens into a deeper critique of how small-l liberals — not Liberal party partisans, but moderates writ large — lost the courage to say no to bad ideas, including widely unpopular ones. When the political centre abandons tough decisions, those decisions still get made — just not by the people you’d want making them. And those people get the credit, too.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, or find us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. If you’re enjoying the show, share it with a friend, post about it online, or shout your favourite bureaucratic acronym into the sea. We’ll hear you.