OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on CBC President & CEO Catherine Tait to publicly confirm she will refuse taxpayer-funded bonus and severance payouts. 

“Tait is already paid an extremely generous, six-figure annual salary curtesy of taxpayers and it would be wrong for the government to give her a bonus or severance pay out on top of that,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “The government is responsible for taxpayers’ money and politicians shouldn’t be handing Tait a bucket of cash on her way out the door.” 

At a meeting of the House of Commons Heritage Committee today, member of Parliament Damien Kurek asked Tait if she would commit to not taking a severance pay out or bonus when her term at the state broadcaster ends in January 2025. 

“As you conclude your tenure at CBC, can you commit today that you will not take a severance package or bonuses for the last two fiscal years?” Kurek asked. 

“I consider that to be a personal matter,” Tait said. 

“Tait taking a taxpayer-funded bonus or severance pay out, on top of her six-figure, taxpayer-funded salary, is the furthest thing in the world from a ‘personal matter,’” Terrazzano said. “It’s taxpayer money, so taxpayers have every right to know.” 

Tait’s salary is between $422,000 and $497,000 per year, according to a federal government Order in Council. For comparison, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s salary is $406,200. 

Kurek also asked Michael Goldbloom, the Chairman of the CBC’s Board of Directors, if he would make public what recommendations the board has made to the federal government regarding potential bonus pay outs for Tait.

“Our communications with the government around the [bonus] recommendations with the CEO, my understanding is that is governed by privacy,” Goldbloom said. 

A Leger poll commissioned by the CTF shows 69 per cent of Canadians oppose the $18.4 million in bonuses the CBC is paying out this year. The CBC’s bonuses have cost taxpayers $132 million since 2015. 

In May 2024, the CTF launched a legal challenge against the CBC because it continues to stonewall the release of bonus figures for its senior executives. 

Records obtained by the CTF show the CBC’s seven senior executives took home $3,793,000 in total compensation in 2023 – an average of more than $540,000 a piece.