Canada’s state broadcaster dished out $14.9 million in bonuses in 2023 despite laying off hundreds of employees at the end of the year.
According to documents received by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, CBC distributed bonuses to 1,143 CBC staff members as of October 26, 2023. Once data for November and December are made available, the figure has the potential to rise.
The CBC also gave 6,575, or 87% of its workforce, a pay increase in the 2023-24 fiscal year, amounting to $11.5 million in raises with no pay cuts made.
The revelation of these payouts comes after the CBC had announced it would be cutting 600 jobs, or 10% of its workforce this past December amid “financial challenges.”
Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano criticized the decision and called on the heritage minister to intervene.
“CBC president Catherine Tait is wrong to hand out bonuses while announcing hundreds of job losses and begging the government for more taxpayer cash,” said Terrazzano.
“Tait won’t do the right thing, so Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge needs to step in and shut down these bonuses.”
After news broke that the CBC intended to lay off 600 hundred of its employees, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a motion to ban CBC from handing out bonuses to its executives. It was shut down by the Liberals.
As reported by True North, the CBC is the main beneficiary from a $100 million deal the federal government struck with Google as a result of the Online News Act.
The CBC is also set to receive an extra $90 million from the Trudeau government in fiscal year 2024-25, adding up to $1.4 billion in taxpayer funding.
Since 2015, the CBC has approved $97 million in pay raises and the number of CBC employees receiving six-figure salaries has risen 231%.
