In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on November 13th, 2026, Matt Gurney is joined by Andrew Potter, filling in for Jen Gerson from Montreal.

First up, your hosts tackle the immigration debate now exploding across Canada. Both are very mindful of the fact that they're middle-aged white dudes, but they have serious concerns about the government's new proposals. For one thing, the economic rationale simply isn't there. For another, the Liberals have done almost none of the political groundwork necessary to sell these changes to Canadians. As Andrew notes, this government, like most Liberal governments, hates having to explain itself to the public. Matt worries that the consequences could be severe. Canada has maintained a remarkable pro-immigrant consensus for decades, and while Canadians have clearly soured on immigration, they haven't yet soured on immigrants. That distinction matters. And it might not last.

Next, Matt and Andrew turn to the war in Ukraine, where Russia is hammering the country's utilities and forcing Ukrainians into darkness and cold as winter approaches. Matt also highlights a series of particularly brutal recent terror attacks against Ukrainian civilians, attacks that serve no military purpose beyond demoralizing the population. Your hosts agree that Vladimir Putin is trying to force some kind of resolution of the war before the Democrats take control of the U.S. Congress in January. Matt wonders whether Ukraine can hold out that long. Andrew has another question: even if it can, what help is actually coming? Will the Democrats care? Will the Europeans finally step up?

Finally, your hosts discuss the rapid downfall of Nvidia's Jensen Huang following revelations of a series of extramarital affairs with employees and potentially a Chinese intelligence asset. But the conversation quickly broadens to the extraordinary pace of progress in artificial intelligence, the threats this technology may pose to human civilization, and the difficulty of imagining any government effectively regulating it. Matt and Andrew consider historical parallels with genetic engineering and thermonuclear weapons, and the uncomfortable reality that AI has become one of those rare technologies where the people who understand it best, and who are actually responsible for creating it, often seem the most terrified of what they're unleashing.

Maybe we should think about that.

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca and remember to like and subscribe before your AI does it for you.

#TheLinePodcast #CanadianImmigration #MarkCarney #CanadianPolitics #UkraineWar #VladimirPutin #ArtificialIntelligence #Nvidia #JensenHuang #AISafety

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded between November 5th and 6th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson are joined by special guest Stephanie Levitz of The Globe and Mail.

First up, a brief explainer: due to Jen's being at a conference, part of this episode was recorded earlier in the week, after the midterms, but before the Canadian federal budget had been released. To avoid ignoring one of the huge stories of the week, Matt recorded a special segment of the podcast on Friday, after Jen had left for her event. In that segment, Stephanie Levitz joins Matt for a quick discussion of the federal budget. What's in it, what's missing, and what does it tell us about the Carney government's priorities? They take stock of what Ottawa is promising, what it's actually prepared to spend money on, and what Canadians should take away from it all.

And then, as recorded earlier in the week, Matt and Jen have a lengthy discussion about the U.S. midterm elections and what they mean for Canada. They consider the political forces shaping the results, what the elections tell us about Donald Trump's America, and what Canadians should expect from Washington in the years ahead. Whatever happens in American domestic politics, Canada still has to figure out how to deal with a neighbour whose political priorities and relationship with the rest of the world have changed dramatically.

Finally, your hosts pivot from the American midterms to how they're being received here in Canada. Jen breaks her own rule about not talking about the Conservatives and talks about the Conservatives. Matt, meanwhile, has a warning for some Canadian conservatives: he thinks they're having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that they're Liberals now. And the sooner they figure that out, the better.

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe!

#TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #FederalBudget2026 #CanadianPolitics #USMidterms #DonaldTrump #CanadaUSRelations #PierrePoilievre #ConservativeParty #CurrentAffairs

In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Jeff Collins, director of the Palmer Institute for Canadian Leadership in Charlottetown, P.E.I., about Canada's military procurement problems, the country's evolving national security strategy, and whether our newfound enthusiasm for getting our elbows up against the Americans makes any sense when it comes to national defence.

This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: are immunotherapy technologies dual-use?

While many immunotherapies are personalized using a patient’s own cells, the research and manufacturing infrastructure behind them can produce other important products, like vaccines. The people behind those research, manufacturing, and clinical delivery processes are also extremely capable and versatile. Greater support for translational research and clinical trials would help grow this workforce and build capabilities that extend well beyond cancer. In a health emergency, that capacity could also help Canada respond quickly to urgent needs for new treatments and vaccines.

Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.

Collins draws on his experience working at the Department of National Defence and elsewhere in the federal public service to explain why Canada has such a difficult time buying the equipment its military needs. Why do procurement projects take so long, cost so much, and so often fail to deliver what was originally promised? And what would actually have to change to make the system work?

This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada.

For years, the Forest Products Association of Canada has called for action to reduce regulatory duplication and create greater certainty for mills, factories, and investment.

We’re encouraged to see the federal government taking action to make Canada’s regulatory system more coordinated and predictable, removing made-in-Canada barriers that have held the sector back. This is an important step for forestry and for communities across the country that depend on the sector.

Now, we need to move from promises to production. Canadian jobs, stronger supply chains, and new opportunities for communities from coast to coast to coast depend on it.

Canada’s forest sector is ready to do its part. Learn more at FPAC.ca.

Jen and Jeff also discuss Canada's national security strategy and the growing pressure to reduce our military dependence on the United States. Political enthusiasm for greater Canadian independence is one thing, but the practical realities of continental defence, military integration and procurement are quite another. How realistic is an "elbows up" approach to our most important defence partner?

It's a conversation about bureaucracy, military readiness, national sovereignty, and whether Canada can finally get serious about equipping its Armed Forces for a much more dangerous world.

This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com.

Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe.

#OnTheLine #CanadianMilitary #MilitaryProcurement #NationalDefence #CanadianArmedForces #NationalSecurity #JeffCollins #DefencePolicy #CanadaUS #JenGerson

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on October 30th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with the newly released National Security Strategy. Your hosts agree that it's directionally correct, in that it's talking about the right things. But they also wonder whether this is going to be another example of a problem Prime Minister Mark Carney keeps discovering in government: it's one thing to say what should be done, and quite another to get the government bureaucracy to actually do it. Some of the problem is simply that the government hasn't had a clear sense of direction. A new strategy can help fix that. But a lot of it is going to come down to a bureaucracy that either cannot do what it's being told or will actively resist doing it. And the only way the PMO is going to fix that is by busting some heads. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

We hope.

This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-pro fit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: is Canada behind on immunotherapy?

Canadian researchers continue to be global leaders at discovery research. Where Canada lags behind is in bringing these discoveries from the lab to the patient. While many immunotherapies come to Canada for clinical trial or market authorization, few are based on Canadian research or developed in Canada, meaning we access them when their international sponsors choose, at whatever prices they want to charge –– provided Health Canada approves and the provinces decide to pay.

Developing more Canadian discoveries into approved therapies in Canada would help reduce Canada’s dependence on other countries, enable our health systems to learn what it takes to deliver these novel therapies while collecting data to assess their value via early stage clinical trials, and provide patients with much-needed access to advanced therapies. A win-win-win scenario.

BioCanRx continues to work with researchers and policymakers to deliver on this mission. Thanks to them for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information and visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.

Next, your hosts turn to a fascinating report by Christopher Nardi of the National Post, who took a deep dive into the challenges facing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Matt and Jen praise the unusual transparency of CSIS director Dan Rogers, who agreed to be interviewed for the story. But Matt zeroes in on one particular thing Rogers told Nardi and throws up his hands in frustration. Because if Rogers actually means what he's saying, he's doomed. And CSIS with him. And the reasons are depressingly familiar to anyone who had already listened to ... the first segment of the podcast.

Finally, Matt and Jen discuss the ongoing negotiations between Canada and Europe. Hopefully nothing breaks later on the day of recording, but as things stand, your hosts are wondering why everyone has spent so much time arguing about what to call the relationship instead of explaining what the relationship will actually be. Speaking as two middle-aged people who would very much like to start spending their winters in southern Europe, they'd appreciate some actual progress on this front. And hopefully soon.

Oh, and, AI was asked to simulate a human civilization, and accidentally created Canada. It ended badly. So, yeah. There's that, too. Sigh.

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

#TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #NationalSecurity #CanadianPolitics #CSIS #CanadianIntelligence #GovernmentBureaucracy #CanadaEuropeRelations #CanadianForeignPolicy #CurrentAffairs

In this episode of On The Line, BioCanRx President and CEO Stephanie Michaud joins Matt Gurney for a conversation about one of the biggest problems facing Canadian health care: Canada produces world-class medical research, but too often struggles to turn those discoveries into treatments that actually reach Canadian patients.

Stephanie explains why it can take so long for the newest and most promising therapies to make their way into the Canadian healthcare system — and why so much science developed by Canadian researchers ultimately ends up being commercialized in the United States. Canada has extraordinary researchers and institutions. So why do we keep losing the economic and medical benefits of their work?

This episode is brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Budget season in Ottawa is filled with asks for new programs, new tax measures and new investment. But for Canada’s forest products sector, the biggest opportunity for growth doesn’t require new spending — it requires smarter rules. Regulatory inefficiencies are costing the average Canadian mill an estimated one million dollars a year each. That’s money that could be reinvested in workers, communities, and modernization instead. The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force gave Ottawa a clear playbook. As the federal budget takes shape, the fastest way to unlock private investment is to remove the made-in-Canada barriers standing in the way. Learn more at FPAC.ca.

Matt and Stephanie also discuss what it would take for Canada to become more independent of the United States in biotechnology and healthcare. If Canadians really want to get their elbows up, this is one area where the country already has many of the ingredients it needs. They look at opportunities to work with international partners, build domestic capacity and create a system capable of taking Canadian discoveries from the laboratory all the way to Canadian patients.

And, unusually for On The Line, there’s some optimism. Stephanie believes Canada has a genuine opportunity to build on its existing strengths and become a global leader in biotechnology — creating economic opportunities while also helping Canadians survive terrible diseases and live longer, healthier lives.

This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com.

Disclosures x 2: BioCanRx has been and remains a sponsor of The Line. This was an interview we wanted to do because of what Matt Gurney learned while his wife battled a devastating cancer diagnosis; an employee at BioCanRx is an old friend of Matt's and offered his help soon after the diagnosis, which is how The Line and BioCanRx began speaking in the first place. For the record: BioCanRx did not seek or receive any editorial control over this interview, was not provided questions in advance, nor asked for them, and requested no changes to the finished product. For further transparency, the only edits to this podcast were to cover your intrepid host choking while sipping water, like the seasoned broadcast professional he is, and a doorbell ringing. Exciting times!

Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always like and subscribe.

#OnTheLine #BioCanRx #StephanieMichaud #CanadianHealthcare #Biotechnology #CanadianInnovation #HealthInnovation #CancerResearch #LifeSciences #MedicalResearch #CanadaUS #MattGurney

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney returns from a leave to care for his wife and wonders if he’s missed anything over the last two weeks. Turns out he has. It’s his first chance to sit down with Jen Gerson and talk about the Alberta referendum, and Jen — finally having gotten some sleep — offers her concluding thoughts on … all that. Matt gives his reactions and asks Jen a fairly basic question: what, exactly, was the point of the whole exercise? They agree that Danielle Smith doesn’t come out of it looking particularly good. They also agree she might just skate anyway, especially since the separatists lost so badly that a lot of them might just move on to the next grift.

This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: is Canada behind on immunotherapy?

Canadian researchers continue to be global leaders at discovery research. Where Canada lags behind is in bringing these discoveries from the lab to the patient. While many immunotherapies come to Canada for clinical trial or market authorization, few are based on Canadian research or developed in Canada, meaning we access them when their international sponsors choose, at whatever prices they want to charge –– provided Health Canada approves and the provinces decide to pay.

Developing more Canadian discoveries into approved therapies in Canada would help reduce Canada’s dependence on other countries, enable our health systems to learn what it takes to deliver these novel therapies while collecting data to assess their value via early stage clinical trials, and provide patients with much-needed access to advanced therapies. A win-win-win scenario.

BioCanRx continues to work with researchers and policymakers to deliver on this mission. Thanks to them for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information and visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.

Next, your hosts turn to the catastrophe at CFB Wainwright, where some of the worst instincts of Canadian governance were on full display. The safety of the troops and care for the families of the fallen obviously come first. But the disaster also became a textbook example of how Canadian institutions respond to emergencies by smothering transparency. Matt and Jen go through what was known, what was revealed and, yes, read aloud what may be the worst official communication ever produced by a Canadian government comms person. Matt also responds to criticism that the military probably didn’t yet know the answers to the questions The Line wanted answered. There’s just one problem with that defence: someone leaked The Line the memo. They knew. So ....

Finally, Matt offers a personal update on the family medical emergency that took him away from the podcast. He’s still figuring out how much he can and should say publicly, but he has some broader thoughts about Canada’s health-care system. It turns out all the clichés are true: it can be astonishingly good and absolutely awful at the same time. Matt also has some very sharp and specific criticisms of one group of hospital professionals. He thinks the problems there are serious enough that they could end up collapsing the system, literally. Canadians will die because of this; Canadians are already dying of it, and Matt got to watch one of those deaths with his own eyes.

The harder question is what anyone can do about it.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe.

#TheLinePodcast

#AlbertaReferendum
#DanielleSmith
#CFBWainwright
#CanadianForces
#CanadianMilitary
#CanadianPolitics
#GovernmentTransparency
#CanadianHealthcare
#HealthcareCrisis

In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Patrick Lennox, author of On Treason, a new book examining the moral and political consequences of betraying one's own country. Their conversation focuses on Alberta's separatist movement, its reported efforts to secure American recognition for a future independent state, and why Lennox believes the movement represents something more troubling than ordinary regional grievance politics.

This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: is Canada behind on immunotherapy?

Canadian researchers continue to be global leaders at discovery research. Where Canada lags behind is in bringing these discoveries from the lab to the patient. While many immunotherapies come to Canada for clinical trial or market authorization, few are based on Canadian research or developed in Canada, meaning we access them when their international sponsors choose, at whatever prices they want to charge –– provided Health Canada approves and the provinces decide to pay.

Developing more Canadian discoveries into approved therapies in Canada would help reduce Canada’s dependence on other countries, enable our health systems to learn what it takes to deliver these novel therapies while collecting data to assess their value via early stage clinical trials, and provide patients with much-needed access to advanced therapies. A win-win-win scenario.

BioCanRx continues to work with researchers and policymakers to deliver on this mission. Thanks to them for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information and visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.

Lennox traces the political developments that brought Alberta to the brink of a separatist referendum, including Bill 54 and changes to the province's citizens' initiative rules. They discuss lower signature thresholds, corporate financing, and the role these changes have played in opening a path to a referendum. Lennox argues that the process reflects deliberate political engineering rather than a spontaneous expression of popular discontent.

This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Budget season in Ottawa is filled with asks for new programs, new tax measures and new investment. But for Canada’s forest products sector, the biggest opportunity for growth doesn’t require new spending — it requires smarter rules. Regulatory inefficiencies are costing the average Canadian mill an estimated one million dollars a year each. That’s money that could be reinvested in workers, communities, and modernization instead. The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force gave Ottawa a clear playbook. As the federal budget takes shape, the fastest way to unlock private investment is to remove the made-in-Canada barriers standing in the way. Learn more at FPAC.ca.

Jen and Lennox also examine the role of unelected separatist organizers, questions of democratic legitimacy, and the possibility of foreign interference. At what point does advocating for independence cross the line into something more serious? And what happens when a domestic political movement seeks support from a foreign government whose interests may be fundamentally opposed to Canada's?

This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com.

It's a conversation about Alberta separatism, sovereignty, democratic accountability, and why Lennox believes Canadians need to take the threat of treason seriously in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment.

Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe.

#OnTheLine #PatrickLennox #OnTreason #AlbertaSeparatism #AlbertaPolitics #CanadaPolitics #Bill54 #ForeignInterference #CanadianSovereignty #Federalism #JenGerson