In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded a day early on April 2nd, 2026 ahead of the Easter long weekend, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open by saluting the departure of Artemis II on its journey to the Moon. Jen finds herself unexpectedly emotional about it, and the hosts spend some time reflecting on why moments like this matter — and why it’s still important to hold on to a sense of hope. It really is the best side of America (with a little bit of Canada!) on display. And then there is the other side of America! They check in on the state of the war in the Persian Gulf, as well as a recent speech by Donald Trump that neither host found particularly reassuring. The overall trajectory worries them, though Matt does offer some grounded analysis. Put simply, he’s not expecting Canada to be leading any clearance mission through the Strait of Hormuz.

From there, Jen provides an update from Alberta, where recent developments have left her feeling vindicated, albeit in a grim way. They discuss at some length why Jen struggles to convince people of things that are quite obvious; Matt pivots from political analysis to therapy and encourages her to be more comfortable accepting that you can't always argue people into seeing things your way.

The conversation then shifts to federal politics, with Matt arguing that Mark Carney needs to tighten up his government’s communications before he starts squandering some of the advantages he still enjoys early in his mandate. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all our Line family!

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Today on On The Line with your host Jen Gerson, we talk about the rise of Alberta separatism with former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

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The former Conservative Party cabinet minister has become an unwitting spokesperson for conservative federalists in the province as the petition to generate enough names to force a separation referendum continues across Alberta. We talk about the deep roots of populism in Alberta, including the merger between the Wildrose and the old Progressive Conservative Party. Gerson asks the former premier some tough questions about how we got here. Why have generations of Alberta's leaders tried to tap the populist well? And will this vote be the time they tapped the anger of western alienation too deep.

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In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on March 26th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson open with what they’re calling Mark Carney’s new China problem. They both understand why the government is trying to maintain a workable relationship with China, but they’re struck by how one Liberal MP, Michael Ma, ended up sounding very much like someone echoing Beijing’s preferred talking points. They’re careful not to accuse Ma of anything beyond saying something China would have been happy to hear, but they also note that the Conservatives are likely to seize on it and not let go. What sweet revenge that will be (given which party Mr. Ma oh-so-recently belonged to).

More broadly, the conversation widens into a darker assessment of Canada’s political health, with Matt arriving at a bleak conclusion: our only remaining, functional mechanism of domestic political accountability increasingly seems to be ... the United States.

From there, the hosts turn to the latest Air Canada bilingualism controversy, centring on Air Canada. Jen offers a characteristically blunt take: Canada keeps returning to language fights, she argues, because they function as a kind of political comfort food — something familiar and easy to argue about while avoiding much harder conversations about a world that is becoming more unstable and dangerous. Matt doesn’t have much of a rebuttal to that. Maybe the Americans can fix that for us, too?

Finally, the discussion shifts back to the United States. Pierre Poilievre’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience gets a positive review from both hosts, who see it as a smart move. Jen also shares highlights from a recent trip south, including a rare opportunity to tour the West Wing and the Oval Office. She comes away with a mix of impressions — some good, some less so — and offers a few observations that listeners won’t hear anywhere else.

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

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