Canadians have been on the hook for over $156 million in the form of raises and bonuses for CBC staff since 2015.
According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), employees received an average of $14,200 per year in the form of bonuses while salary raises averaged at $1,800 a year.
In total, the state broadcaster lavished its staff with $51 million in bonuses and raises during the pandemic.
“If the CBC has enough money lying around to hand out millions in bonuses and raises during a pandemic, then taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fork over more money,” said CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano.
“The CBC should stop handing out bonuses and raises instead of taking more money from taxpayers.”
The revelation comes shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised an additional $42 million for the CBC in the federal government’s 2022 Fall Economic Update.
Hidden within the plan is a pledge to give the broadcaster $21 million over two years to “offset revenue losses related to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
A recent report by the Auditor General of Canada presented to the CBC’s Board of Directors shows that the CBC received $1.24 billion in funding from taxpayers in 2021-2022.
“The CBC shouldn’t be taking more than $1 billion from taxpayers every year,” said CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims.
“It’s tone deaf for the CBC to hand out pay raises and bonuses while many workers in the private sector took pay cuts and lost their jobs.”
In the audit, the Auditor General also blasted the CBC for having poor disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
“The corporation had IT disaster recovery and business continuity plans, as well as a policy and procedures related to its business continuity plans,” the Auditor General concluded.
“However, the corporation did not require testing of disaster recovery and business continuity plans at set intervals. The plans were tested in specific situations, such as the implementation of a new system or during real-life scenarios—for example, when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Canada.”
