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What Liberals can get away with
Manage episode 481771389 series 3512718
In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 9, 2025, Matt and Jen round up the week in Canadian politics — and things are getting weird again.
They start with Pierre Poilievre’s decision to run in an extremely safe riding and tap Andrew Scheer as the party’s interim House leader. Matt says both choices radiate loser energy. But he also mounts a reluctant defence of the Tories — agreeing, to his dismay, with the Twitter mob: the CPC can run better campaigns, but it can’t beat the bogeyman version of itself that lives rent-free in the heads of many Canadians. He argues that if Poilievre had gone to the Oval Office and done exactly what Mark Carney just did, word for word, the reaction would have been scorched-earth. But when Carney does it, it's praised (and Matt agrees that Carney did well!). Jen pushes back — hard. She says the Conservatives need to stop whining about perception gaps and just fix what they can fix. Fatalism is not a strategy.
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.
In the second segment, they turn to the provinces. Matt delivers an update on Ontario, which is — by his account — a smouldering pile of nonsense. He brings a few choice examples. Then Jen takes a deeper dive into Alberta separatism and what’s fuelling it. They might take a few detours along the way, but you knew that already.
This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Innovative Medicines Canada. With a new government in place, one thing remains clear: Canada must continue to prioritize patients and healthcare innovation. Innovative Medicines Canada is focused on collaborating with all levels of government to improve access to life-saving medicines and develop a healthcare system that prioritizes patients, ignites innovation, and drives economic growth.
Canada’s innovative medicines sector plays a critical role—not just in health outcomes, but in keeping us competitive on the global stage. That’s why, even during a moment of political change, Innovative Medicines Canada is staying focused on the issues that matter most to Canadians. And as Canada moves forward with national pharmacare, Innovative Medicines Canada believes it’s possible to expand access without limiting choice—by strengthening what works and fixing what doesn’t.
Visit innovativemedicines.ca to learn more.
Finally, Jen surprises Matt with a gut-check on a theory she’s been turning over — something that crosses the wires between politics and religion. It’s going to make someone mad. But after a pause, Matt decides it’s probably not cancel-worthy.
Probably.
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 it across a church pew. We won’t judge.
Chapters
1. Intro (00:00:00)
2. Loser energy (00:01:30)
3. Loser provinces (00:39:54)
4. Jen goes full theology (01:19:29)
101 episodes
Manage episode 481771389 series 3512718
In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 9, 2025, Matt and Jen round up the week in Canadian politics — and things are getting weird again.
They start with Pierre Poilievre’s decision to run in an extremely safe riding and tap Andrew Scheer as the party’s interim House leader. Matt says both choices radiate loser energy. But he also mounts a reluctant defence of the Tories — agreeing, to his dismay, with the Twitter mob: the CPC can run better campaigns, but it can’t beat the bogeyman version of itself that lives rent-free in the heads of many Canadians. He argues that if Poilievre had gone to the Oval Office and done exactly what Mark Carney just did, word for word, the reaction would have been scorched-earth. But when Carney does it, it's praised (and Matt agrees that Carney did well!). Jen pushes back — hard. She says the Conservatives need to stop whining about perception gaps and just fix what they can fix. Fatalism is not a strategy.
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.
In the second segment, they turn to the provinces. Matt delivers an update on Ontario, which is — by his account — a smouldering pile of nonsense. He brings a few choice examples. Then Jen takes a deeper dive into Alberta separatism and what’s fuelling it. They might take a few detours along the way, but you knew that already.
This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Innovative Medicines Canada. With a new government in place, one thing remains clear: Canada must continue to prioritize patients and healthcare innovation. Innovative Medicines Canada is focused on collaborating with all levels of government to improve access to life-saving medicines and develop a healthcare system that prioritizes patients, ignites innovation, and drives economic growth.
Canada’s innovative medicines sector plays a critical role—not just in health outcomes, but in keeping us competitive on the global stage. That’s why, even during a moment of political change, Innovative Medicines Canada is staying focused on the issues that matter most to Canadians. And as Canada moves forward with national pharmacare, Innovative Medicines Canada believes it’s possible to expand access without limiting choice—by strengthening what works and fixing what doesn’t.
Visit innovativemedicines.ca to learn more.
Finally, Jen surprises Matt with a gut-check on a theory she’s been turning over — something that crosses the wires between politics and religion. It’s going to make someone mad. But after a pause, Matt decides it’s probably not cancel-worthy.
Probably.
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 it across a church pew. We won’t judge.
Chapters
1. Intro (00:00:00)
2. Loser energy (00:01:30)
3. Loser provinces (00:39:54)
4. Jen goes full theology (01:19:29)
101 episodes
All episodes
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