In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded in the last-pre-election days on March 21, 2025, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson look around and realize that this is as calm as their lives are going to be for about a month. And that's just sad.
And this is where we pause to slip in an announcement to Line readers, listeners and viewers: we are switching over to election mode effective immediately. That's going to mean an accelerated publication schedule. You'll be hearing from us seven days a week, sometimes more than once per day. That means, in the unlikely event that you haven't already, now is the time to sign up at ReadTheLine.ca. We've got some great stuff coming. Don't miss it.
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.
Your hosts start the podcast this week by talking about Mark Carney, prime minister of Canada. They review his first few days in office, and find some good and some bad. They see some signs that he could mature as a politician. They also see some evidence that he needs that maturing to happen. Could Carney win? Absolutely. Could he lose? Also absolutely. We definitely see and even admire the tactical cunning of the Liberal battle plan. But gosh, it comes with some risks.
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After that, your hosts move onto the Conservatives. It's another mixed bag. There are definitely some signs that the Conservatives are, finally and belatedly, beginning their pivot away from the kind of campaign they wanted to run toward the kind of campaign they need to run. It's taken a long time, but your friends at The Line are starting to see the outlines of a new Conservative campaign take shape. One that can win. But they're also still seeing signs of internal divisions and a degree of leadership paralysis in the CPC. Much like with Carney, they conclude that Poilievre can absolutely win this. But he's gotten his butt handed to him for the last month or so, and hasn't known what to do about that.
This episode of The Line Podcast 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.
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Last but not least, Jen gives Matt an update from Alberta, where she is looking for any signs of a truly building secessionist movement ... and not finding one. She lays out how that could change, and how it could change fast. Matt wraps up with a quick word on some developments in the other provinces. Lots going on.
Like we said, folks, our Aprils are ruined. Because all of the stuff, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Share our pain.
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