The Line Podcast: How fast does Mark Carney dare go?

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on May 30, 2025, Matt and Jen assess the early days of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government — and wonder if things are moving fast enough.Parliament is back, the procedural stuff is over, and it’s go-time in Ottawa. Matt asks whether Carney is pushing hard enough out of the gate — how fast can this ship really go? Jen offers up a strange and oddly perfect anecdote from her family’s recent experience in Calgary that captures the challenge ahead. Matt warns her it’s 10 million times worse than she thinks. (You won't believe what the issue is. It's bonkers.)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.In the second segment, Matt reports back from the CANSEC defence conference in Ottawa. He’s impressed by the technology on display — drones, sensors, weapon systems — but worried that our political and procurement systems are still operating at a glacial pace. The war in Ukraine has shown how fast warfare is changing. Canada isn’t keeping up. Jen suggests that urgency will arrive as soon as someone’s bombing our cities. Cool.This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Innovative Medicines Canada. With a new government in place, one thing remains clear: Canada must continue to prioritize patients and healthcare innovation. Innovative Medicines Canada is focused on collaborating with all levels of government to improve access to life-saving medicines and develop a healthcare system that prioritizes patients, ignites innovation, and drives economic growth.Canada’s innovative medicines sector plays a critical role—not just in health outcomes, but in keeping us competitive on the global stage. That’s why, even during a moment of political change, Innovative Medicines Canada is staying focused on the issues that matter most to Canadians. And as Canada moves forward with national pharmacare, Innovative Medicines Canada believes it’s possible to expand access without limiting choice—by strengthening what works and fixing what doesn’t.Visit innovativemedicines.ca to learn more.In the third and final segment, your Line editors dive into one of those long, winding, philosophy-meets-culture chats that you’ll either love or hate. If you just want the politics, you’re free to bail out for the third segment. But if you want some deep thoughts on the rise (and possible fall) of Jordan Peterson, and what it tells us about right-wing celebrity in the algorithm age … well, pour yourself a drink and settle in. It gets deep. In a good way.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, share it with a friend, post about it online, or shout it into the algorithm void. Maybe you'll end up being our next leading public intellectual on social media.YouTube:Video goes live in 30 minutes, at 6:30 PM Eastern and 4:30 PM Mountain.Spotify:Apple:And plenty more options here.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 releases new episodes every Tuesday morning. In case you missed it, here is last Tuesday’s episode, where Matt Gurney got to speak with three sharp experts on three very different fronts — Philippe Lagassé on the King’s visit, David Shipley on cybersecurity, and Scott Clancy on continental defence. Thanks for all your support. Watch for the dispatch on this weekend.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: [email protected] Get full access to The Line at www.readtheline.ca/subscribe