CBC-Radio Canada President and CEO Catherine Tait requested to meet with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre to “discuss the implications” of his promise to defund the network, a letter from November 29, 2022 shows.
In the letter, which was obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, Tait expresses her disappointment over then newly-elected Poilievre declining to meet.
“Given that during your leadership campaign, you publicly promised to ‘defund the CBC,’ I would have hoped that spending some time to understand the organization would be useful,” Tait wrote.
Tait also accused the Conservative leader of “falsely accusing CBC journalists of bias,” and said that Poilievre was using the “defund” promise to raise money for his party. The Conservative Party’s website features a page dedicated to getting signups — and fundraising — for the defunding CBC.
Poilievre has accused CBC of being the “propaganda arm” of the Trudeau government and recently called on Twitter owner Elon Musk to put the ‘Government-funded Media’ label on CBC’s account. Musk initially acquiesced, for which Poilievre celebrated the win, but the label has since been removed.
The Conservative leader’s accusations bank on CBC’s reputation of being “friendlier to the Liberals than the Conservatives,” as the National Post puts it, and because a vast majority of its funding does come from the government.
CBC describes itself as a Crown corporation, meaning it is “wholly owned by the state but operated at arm’s length from government.” Its chief executive is appointed by the government but is independent of the state in terms of its day-to-day operations.
Information for this story was found via the National Post, CBC, Blacklock’s Reporter on Twitter, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
