As the writ drops and Canada prepares to go to the polls, The Line is proud to introduce its Anti-Panel — a politics panel, but fun. No, really. That’s possible. Each week, we’ll be publishing a new Anti-Panel in written form, but we thought we’d kick things off with something a little different: getting the whole gang On The Line. Get it?! They're on the line. Literally.
This episode of On The Line is brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canadian forestry supports 200,000 workers, generates $87 billion in annual revenue, and provides the products we need to build homes and drive economic growth. While trade barriers from the United States threaten jobs and investment, Canada’s own approval processes and regulations are blocking critical projects that increase our self reliance. The Canadian government has a clear opportunity to stand up for Canadian forestry at a time of growing global uncertainty. We need real action that puts Canadians first — supporting employees and their families, securing stability for our businesses, and protecting the long-term potential of our sector and its people. To learn more, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.
This episode brings together three partisan veterans to chat about the coming federal election — and the state of Canadian politics more broadly. Representing the spectrum, we have Amanda Galbraith, partner at Oyster Group, offering a Conservative perspective; Kim Wright, principal and founder at Wright Strategy, bringing the NDP angle; and Jamie Carroll, self-described “Liberal hack” and political strategist, making the case for the Red team. But this isn’t your standard Sunday-morning panel show. The Line's twist: we’re making them either compliment each other’s campaigns or provide "helpful feedback" to their own — all in the name of national unity … or at least good podcasting.
This episode is also brought to you by the Mêtis Nation of Ontario. It's the Upper Great Lakes, early 1800s. In a crowded trading post, Madeline Laframboise inspects a bundle of pelts, her keen eyes assessing their worth. Indigenous and European traders know she sets fair prices and drives a hard bargain. One of the few women to run her own trading empire, Madeline’s influence stretches across the Upper Great Lakes of what would become Ontario and northern Michigan. Madeline builds a powerful Métis network through trade, linking Métis families, voyageurs, and traders from Mackinac to Red River. As the years pass, young Métis women seek Madeline’s guidance, learning from a woman who defied expectations. Generations later, her legacy lives on in the Métis businesswomen who have become leaders, mentors, and matriarchs today. To learn more, go to OntarioMétisFacts.com.
The conversation covers a lot of ground: from the branding struggles of the Liberal Party, to the efficiency of Conservative vote targeting, to the NDP’s ongoing challenges under Jagmeet Singh. We talk about Mark Carney’s growing role on the national stage and what his potential leadership means for both the Liberals and their opponents. And yes — we even touch on Donald Trump’s shadow looming over Canadian politics, and how his influence might affect Canadian voters. We also dig into the mechanics of campaign messaging, the importance of ballot questions, and the media’s evolving role in shaping political narratives.
This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by Environmental 360 Solutions. Ontario's recycling system is failing local businesses and benefiting large American recyclers. Over $10 million a year is being collected from Ontario consumers in mandatory fees for tire and battery recycling but much of the work is being outsourced to American recyclers. This is starving local Ontario companies of opportunities to do that work and keep good jobs in the province. Worse, enough mandatory fees have been collected from consumers to recycle 100% of the materials, but only a fraction of this work is actually being done. Ontario’s recycling regulator is finally taking action, issuing penalties to the companies collecting the recycling fees, but in turn these companies are using these mandatory fees, paid by Ontarians to fund recycling programs, to cover the fines. The result? Ontario consumers are enriching unscrupulous industry participants and American recyclers, undermining recycling, job creation, and investment in Ontario. It’s time for real accountability in the recycling industry. Click here to learn more.
As always, like and subscribe at our main page, ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you're enjoying On The Line, share it with a friend, post about it online, or just yell at someone on the bus. We won’t judge.
Thanks for listening — and we’ll see you next week for the next installment of On The Line.
Also! The Line is rolling out a new social media strategy to drive growth and engagement for its many content offerings. Please see the list below for our new social media accounts. Please follow us on any platform that you use!
Facebook x 2: (On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here). (We need to do it this way because of C-18. So thanks, Trudeau.)
Instagram.
TikTok.
Twitter.
BlueSky.
LinkedIn.
And one final note: we have been releasing our On The Line episodes on Tuesday mornings. It’s performed great on all audio platforms, but our video releases seem to do better in the evenings. So as of today, new strategy — On The Line is available for listening on Tuesday mornings, but the video version will roll out on YouTube and on our social media channels this evening. If you’re more into watching than listening, stay tuned for the video version tonight! And be sure to follow us on YouTube and on Twitter to get the video releases.
Spotify:
Apple:
We hope you enjoy this episode, and don’t miss us next week. We’ll be back with more On The Line.
The Line is entirely reader and advertiser funded — no federal subsidy for us! If you value our work, have already subscribed, and still worry about what will happen when the conventional media finishes collapsing, please make a donation today.
The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Pitch us something: lineeditor@protonmail.com
Share this post