In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on April 11, 2025, things get unexpectedly emotional right out of the gate. Jen opens with a raw reflection on the state of public discourse in Canada — how partisanship is melting brains, how the media is under attack (even if no one can quite agree on what “the media” is), and how political parties have become so addicted to campaigning that they’ve forgotten how to govern. Matt is genuinely surprised by it — they had a plan for a podcast, and Jen took it somewhere else. They talk a little bit about the state of society at large. Jen reminds Matt that he lives in a society, not alone on an island. He says he gets that, but he'd like to build a fortress on that island. He agrees with where Jen thinks things are going. He's just stopped feeling bad about it and has moved on to the doing-things-about-it stage.
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.
From there, after one of your hosts takes some time to pull herself together, Matt and Jen turn to the federal election campaign. The Conservative campaign has problems. The Liberals have different problems. And some of them are getting harder to ignore. They dig into the signs that the Liberal party is simply not taking concerns about Chinese influence in its GTA operations seriously — Carney may be a new leader, but they're certainly reading from the Trudeau playbook on that one, probably because these guys stopped being able to tell the difference between a danger alarm and a "Fuck Trudeau" flag a while ago. Matt also speculates that the party leaders are just plain tired. They need a proper meal and a good night's rest.
This episode is also brought to you by TikTok Canada. For the past five years, TikTok has been investing in Canada — hiring hundreds of employees for well-paying jobs in Toronto and Vancouver, and contributing over $1.4 billion in GDP to Canada's economy. However, TikTok has been ordered to shut down its Canadian operations. This will be a chilling precedent for global companies considering investing in Canada and will cost jobs in areas like software development and ad sales, which create opportunities for Canadians to work in global tech. It's in Canada's best interest to find a way forward that keeps local teams in place to support the success of Canadian creators, artists and small businesses on the platform. Whichever party forms government, it will have an opportunity to demonstrate that we're open for business, while addressing security concerns and fostering a thriving tech sector.
Facts matter. Shutting down TikTok Canada eliminates jobs and stymies investments in Canada. Let's find a solution for TikTok that makes sense for Canadians.
In the final segment, Matt recaps a speech he attended this week from the president and CEO of TransCanada Energy. The message? That Canadians should aspire to be actual leaders in the field of energy exports, particularly to Asia, and what that would require in terms of building infrastructure ... and political goodwill. It’s a theme Matt picked up in his column this week, and he argues that the fact it feels radical to hear a CEO even say that out loud is its own kind of warning.
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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, send it to a friend, post about it, or shout it across a Tim Hortons parking lot. We’ll take it.
While we have you here, don’t miss this week’s Bullshit Bulletin! You can feel our growing irritation.
And right now, as we speak, we’re working on our third Anti-Panel. That’ll go live tomorrow. Don’t miss last week’s!
Anti-Panel, Week 2: Stick to your kinks. Avoid discussing the Holocaust.
During the election, and then once after to wrap-up, The Line has assembled a panel of partisans, but fun ones! People we know and like. They’re going to help us analyze the campaign, but they’ve also agreed to give some honest feedback to their own parties. Though we suspect we might have to force them into that each week. We have
With the election underway, we’ll be using our social media accounts to reach you, and new readers/listeners/viewers. It would be a huge help if you could follow us on any platform that you use, and share our work far and wide.
Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here.
Instagram. NOTE: We think we got C-18’d on Facebook. You might not be able to access us on Facebook or Instagram from inside Canada. Be warned!
TikTok.
BlueSky.
LinkedIn.
New to this list: our Twitter accounts! Matt’s is here. The Line’s is here. Jen is here.
This helps. It really does. Thank you!
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Please sign up at those options not just for this episode, or future episodes of The Line Podcast, but so that you can also receive our other podcast series, On the Line, which will release new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Jen gets an update from our friends at Ipsos, and also talks to one of the world’s foremost economists about why he’s worried, sincerely worried, that recent U.S. government changes could be about to tip the world into a literal economic depression.
Fun!
Thanks for all your support. Watch for the Anti-Panel tomorrow.
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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
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