Liberal Government silent on approval of bonus for CBC CEO Catherine Tait
The Liberal government is not disclosing if approval was given for a bonus for the head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., despite demands for answers from the Opposition Conservatives and calls from New Democrats to ban bonuses.
The decision to grant Catherine Tait a bonus lies with the federal government after a performance review and recommendation by the CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors.
When asked about the bonus, CBC referred inquiries to the federal government. Canadian Heritage, responsible for overseeing the Crown corporation, then redirected questions to the Privy Council Office, which supports the cabinet and the prime minister.
Citing privacy laws, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office stated that details cannot be disclosed, although some information from previous years has been made public.
Tait stated in May before the House heritage committee that she received a bonus for the 2021-22 fiscal year and has not yet received performance pay for the 2022-23 fiscal year, information also available on the CBC website.
Tait’s salary ranges from $468,900 to $551,600, with her bonus set by the government between seven percent to 28 percent of her salary based on certain criteria.
The Opposition Conservatives are pushing for Tait to return to answer questions about bonuses.
The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors approved over $18.4 million in bonuses for nearly 1,200 employees, managers, and executives for the 2023-24 fiscal year after job cuts.
The Privy Council Office did not confirm whether the board recommended a bonus for Tait or if the federal government gave approval.
Heritage critic Rachael Thomas criticized Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government for approving large taxpayer-funded bonuses for CBC executives amid declining viewership, calling the network a propaganda arm of the Liberal party.
CBC’s editorial independence from government is protected by law.
Tait has faced questioning at the heritage committee over cuts at CBC/Radio-Canada and whether she would accept a bonus.
The New Democrats accused the Liberals of not safeguarding jobs or curbing greed from CBC executives while criticizing the Conservatives’ stance on defunding CBC, stating they would enhance it instead.
NDP heritage critic Niki Ashton called for a ban on executive bonuses at CBC to redirect funds to support local journalism.
The broadcaster’s board acknowledged the optics of granting bonuses while making cuts and is reviewing its compensation structure for the future.
Between December 2023 and March 31, 346 jobs were eliminated at CBC/Radio-Canada through layoffs and position eliminations.
Tait has been summoned twice to the heritage committee to address cuts and bonus acceptance, prompting the committee to suggest against granting bonuses to executives given the job cuts.
