Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail with Justin Ling

In the latest episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson reunites with journalist Justin Ling for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the federal campaign — and the increasingly surreal experience of covering it.

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They start with a deep dive into media access and how different parties are managing (or dodging) scrutiny. The Liberals are tightening the screws. The Conservatives are sticking to their message. Everyone’s walking a careful line — and that’s changing the way the campaign feels on the ground.

They also touch on the recent leaders’ debate: what worked, what didn’t, and how each leader showed up. Ling has thoughts on Mark Carney’s strategy, Pierre Poilievre’s performance, and what the entire spectacle tells us about voter sentiment heading into the final stretch. The two also explore Canadian housing policy, debate stage dynamics, and the often awkward role of the Debate Commission in the new media age.

This episode is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario. It's 1833 in Penetanguishene, five years since the Métis were forced to relocate from their home on Drummond Island. Métis families had petitioned for a church. They wanted ceremony and community. With their own hands, they raised St. Ann’s — a cedar log church where baptisms, marriages, and kinship ties would bind the Métis community across the generations. But they had no priest. So, they began to write letter after letter, advocating for the Métis community. Eventually, a priest arrived, beginning to formally record long-existing relationships within the Métis community, and generations of Métis families’ stories to come. Two hundred years later, St. Ann’s Church is now built of stone, but the Métis community in Penetanguishene will never forget its humble origins, which rallied their community in the wake of their 1828 relocation.

Historic Métis communities in Ontario are real. They are resilient. And they played an important part in building Canada. Learn more at OntarioMetisFacts.com.

Later in the episode, Jen is joined by Mike Colledge from Ipsos for the weekly update on the issues that are motivating the electorate as we head into the home stretch of this election. Mike looks into Ipsos's archive of data and gives Jen (and the listeners) a read on what the numbers are showing — and why tone, not just policy, might decide this election.

As always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend, post about it online, or just drop it into the group chat. You know the one.

And don’t forget: On The Line drops Tuesday mornings on audio, with the video version rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and social media. If you’re more of a watcher than a listener, keep an eye out tonight — and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next week.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:49 Justin Ling
• 44:46 Mike Colledge