The Liberal government refuses to address whether it approved a bonus for CBC President Catherine Tait amid calls to end bonuses for CBC executives from opposition parties, the Conservatives and the NDP.
Tait’s bonus would have had to first be approved by the federal government, following a review of her annual performance and on recommendation from the CBC/Radio-Canada’s board of directors.
True North asked the CBC who approved the bonus but the question was deferred to the federal government.
Media outlets asked Canadian Heritage, the department responsible for overseeing the Crown corporation, who then kicked the question over to the Privy Council Office.
However, the Privy Council Office wouldn’t answer either, citing privacy laws as the reason, despite disclosing such information to the public in the past.
Tait was summoned before the House of Commons heritage committee in May to discuss her bonus pay, however, the meeting was shut down by Liberal MPs after she refused to do so.
While Tait confirmed that she received a bonus for the 2021-22 fiscal year, she would not disclose the actual amount of the bonus. She also told the committee that she had not received a bonus for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Her salary ranges between $468,900 and $551,600 and the government is responsible for setting her bonus amount, which may be anywhere from 7% to 28% of her salary, should she meet the required criteria to receive one.
Following news that the CBC issued another round of bonuses for its executives and nonunion employees for last year, which amounted to $18.4 million, the Conservatives are now calling for Tait to return before the committee to provide details on her latest round of “performance pay.”
The NDP hasn’t yet made calls for Tait to return before the committee.
The CBC quietly announced the 2022-23 bonuses only days after the House of Commons closed for summer recess, despite recent layoffs and struggling viewership.
The state-funded broadcaster eliminated hundreds of jobs from its organization and laid off 141 employees between December 2023 and March of this year, which resulted in members of the committee unanimously agreeing that it would be inappropriate for the CBC to approve any bonuses for last year in a House of Commons report.
The Privy Council Office is refusing to say if the board had recommended a bonus for Tait, or if the federal government was responsible for signing off on the decision.
“Trudeau and his handpicked CBC head, Catherine Tait, have worked to ensure that despite an appalling legacy, the CBC dolled out over $18 million in bonuses at the taxpayer’s expense,” said Heritage critic Rachael Thomas in a post to X on Wednesday.
“Top executives were rubber-stamped to receive more than the average Canadian makes in a year. How much did Trudeau reward Tait in her bonus? Canadians must know. Recall committee. Defund the CBC.”
The Liberal Party of Canada did not respond to True North’s request for comment.