In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded one day early on November 13th, 2025 — and yes, your hosts are aware they’re tempting the wrath of the news gods every time they do that — Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson dive into the story that continues to reverberate this week: what happens when MPs decide to leave their party?

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Jen makes a spirited defence of crossing the floor. Matt agrees, in part, but notes that whatever the theoretical ideal of voting for the candidate over the party might be, the reality is that we’re stuck with the voters we have, and they tend to vote for the party first and the candidate second.

They also discuss, as an interesting counterexample, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who isn’t having any difficulty criticizing his own party from within it. He’s obviously not thrilled about being dropped from cabinet, but it’s noteworthy how comfortable certain disaffected voices seem to be operating inside both the Conservative and Liberal caucuses. They don’t know if that tells us more about the parties or about the individual MPs involved, but it’s interesting.

Lastly, they turn to November 11th, collective memory, obligation, and the limits of lived experience when it comes to learning from history. It’s a more intimate and reflective discussion than usual, but one they think you’ll enjoy. And they’d love to hear from you in the comments: what was Remembrance Day like in your community this year? Matt was struck by how quiet it felt in Toronto, and he’s hoping that was just because of the very early blast of lousy winter weather that has befallen the Centre of the Universe.

All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Like and subscribe, and check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca.

This week on On The Line, Jen Gerson sits down with entrepreneur and policy advocate Matt Spoke to talk about Project Ontario — a new movement of small-c conservatives who say Doug Ford’s government has lost its way. Spoke argues that after more than seven years in power, Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are governing like Liberals: spending more than ever, doling out billions in corporate subsidies, and failing to fix core problems in housing, health care, and education.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Forestry For The Future. Canada’s housing crisis demands bold, scalable solutions. Build Canada Homes is an opportunity to leverage Canadian wood in modern construction. Wood-based methods like mass timber and modular construction can significantly reduce build times, waste, and carbon emissions, while supporting local economies. Expanding building codes, streamlining approvals, and prioritizing domestic wood in federal projects could double demand and foster job creation in rural and northern communities.

Despite trade challenges and market volatility, a partnership between industry and government is vital to stabilize the sector, enhance competitiveness, and deliver innovative, sustainably sourced Canadian wood products for homes across Canada and abroad. With capacity growing across provinces, stable demand and predictable financing are key to unlocking the sector’s potential.

We need to Build Canada Homes with Canadian wood. To learn more, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.Tthe conversation dives into the numbers—sluggish growth, stalled housing starts, and a province now leading the country in corporate handouts. Spoke explains why Ontario’s policy choices are driving people out of the province, why school boards have drifted toward activism instead of academics, and how competition and parental choice could push the system back toward better outcomes.

The pair close with a look at Ford’s enduring popularity and whether it can last. Is this a call for the premier to course-correct — or the beginning of a broader conservative renewal in Ontario? Tune in for a candid, numbers-driven look at what’s gone wrong, and what might come next. To learn more about Matt's project, go to ProjectOntario.ca.

New episodes of On The Line drop every Tuesday. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca, follow us on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to leave us a nice review. Audio drops every Tuesday morning, with video rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and our social channels. Catch it wherever you listen or watch.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on November 7, 2025, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson react to a remarkably busy week in Canadian politics.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Forestry For The Future. Canada’s housing crisis demands bold, scalable solutions. Build Canada Homes is an opportunity to leverage Canadian wood in modern construction. Wood-based methods like mass timber and modular construction can significantly reduce build times, waste, and carbon emissions, while supporting local economies. Expanding building codes, streamlining approvals, and prioritizing domestic wood in federal projects could double demand and foster job creation in rural and northern communities.

Despite trade challenges and market volatility, a partnership between industry and government is vital to stabilize the sector, enhance competitiveness, and deliver innovative, sustainably sourced Canadian wood products for homes across Canada and abroad. With capacity growing across provinces, stable demand and predictable financing are key to unlocking the sector’s potential.

We need to Build Canada Homes with Canadian wood. To learn more, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.

They start with the Mark Carney government. Matt’s self-imposed six-month grace period for judging the new prime minister has expired, and he’s ready to weigh in: better than Trudeau, but not good enough for the moment. Jen is slightly more patient but, somehow, even sharper in her take — especially when it comes to Carney’s recent apology to Donald Trump, which she finds baffling and unnecessary. And enraging.

Then attention turns to the Conservatives, where Pierre Poilievre’s week has gone from bad to worse. Two MPs have walked away, and the question now is whether this is an isolated hiccup or the start of a real leadership problem. Matt and Jen point out that without the wind of inevitable victory at his back, Poilievre will need to rely on charm and political skill — qualities not generally considered his strong suit.

The episode wraps with a wide-ranging discussion on what “woke” and “feminism” actually mean in 2025, and how those words have evolved. Jen is workshopping a new column on the topic, and Matt is clearly looking forward to reading it.

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