Dispute over bonus payment for CBC chief

Dispute over bonus payment for CBC chief

There is a growing atmosphere of scandal and innuendo surrounding the payment of a large bonus to the head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The Liberal government refuses to say whether it approved the payment of the bonus. The opposition Conservatives are demanding answers, and the New Democrats are calling for a ban on bonus payments.

The federal government decides to approve Catherine Tait's bonus after reviewing her performance and receiving a recommendation from the CBC/Radio-Canada board.

CBC referred questions to the federal government. Canadian Heritage, which oversees the government-owned corporation, then forwarded questions to the Privy Council Office, which supports the cabinet and prime minister.

Citing privacy laws, a Privy Council Office spokesman said he could not disclose the details, even though some of the information from previous years has been made public.

In May, Tait informed the Cultural Heritage Commission that she had recently received a bonus for the 2021-22 fiscal year and that she had not yet received a performance fee for the 2022-23 fiscal year. That information is also available on the CBC website.

Tait's salary is in a range of $468,900 to $551,600, with the government setting her a bonus of 7 to 28 percent of her salary if she meets certain criteria.

Opposition Conservatives want Tait to provide Parliament with answers to questions about the bonus.

CBC/Radio-Canada’s board of directors recently approved more than $18.4 million in bonuses for nearly 1,200 employees, managers and executives for the 2023-24 fiscal year after hundreds of workers were laid off.

The Privy Council Office did not say whether the council recommended the bonus for Tait or whether the federal government had agreed to it.

“It is clear that Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are happy to pay CBC executives and their hand-picked CEO massive, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded bonuses despite declining viewership and increasing irrelevance, as long as they remain good servants to their masters and continue to operate as a propaganda arm of the Liberal party,” Canadian Heritage Commission critic Rachael Thomas said in a statement Wednesday.

The CBC's editorial independence from the government is guaranteed by law.

Tait has been called before the Cultural Heritage Committee twice in the past year to answer allegations of budget cuts at CBC/Radio-Canada, and MPs have questioned her on whether she will accept a bonus for the fiscal year ending March 31.

The New Democrats have not said whether they want Tait back on the Canadian Heritage Committee, but have accused the Liberals of failing to protect jobs at the public broadcaster and “curb the greed of CBC executives.”

They also attacked the Conservatives, saying that while they want to defund the CBC, the NDP intends to improve it.

"Our public broadcaster provides an invaluable service to Canadians. They are also accountable to Canadians," said NDP heritage critic Niki Ashton. "It is time to ban the CBC from paying executive bonuses and use the money to save local journalism."

In June, the broadcaster's board publicly admitted that paying bonuses in the same fiscal year as staff cuts had negative connotations, and it has since begun reviewing its pay system for future years.

Between December 2023 and March 31, when the last fiscal year ended, CBC/Radio-Canada eliminated 346 jobs, laying off 141 employees and eliminating 205 vacancies.

Tait has twice been summoned to the Heritage Select Committee to answer for budget cuts, and has also been questioned by MPs on whether she will accept a bonus for the tax year ending on 31 March.

Committee members unanimously concluded in a report to the House of Commons earlier this year that, given the job cuts, it would not be appropriate for the CBC to award bonuses to board members.

Na podst. Canadian Press

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