CBC head pressed by MPs over billing $6K for Paris Olympics stay

The caput of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is facing scrutiny from members of a House of Commons committee for her astir $6,000 worthy of question and edifice expenses astatine the Paris Olympics this past summer.

Catherine Tait, CBC president and main enforcement officer, was pressed by MPs connected the lasting committee connected Canadian practice connected Monday astir her travel to France, which included a four-night enactment astatine a five-star edifice successful Paris.

Tait told the committee she was successful France connected a “personal trip” during the Olympic Games, but during that clip she was besides moving for CBC/Radio-Canada, which was the authoritative broadcaster of the Games successful Canada.

Tait dismissed claims that she charged taxation payers for her idiosyncratic trip.

“I made it precise wide wherefore I was successful Paris arsenic CEO astatine the Olympic Games, 1 of the astir important events wherever Canada performed spectacularly,” Tait said.

According to a proactive disclosure of her question expenses, Tait travelled to the French superior for “business meetings and concern event” during the Paris Olympics from July 25 to 29.

The papers shows that Tait billed a full of $5,869,37 to the CBC for her enactment successful Paris.

This included $3,955.38 for lodging, $873.41 for meals and incidentals arsenic good arsenic $344.21 for transportation.

The National Post archetypal reported connected Monday that Tait spent 4 nights astatine the Hôtel du Collectionneur that outgo $1,000-per-night.

Tait said this was the authoritative edifice of the Olympic games and determination was nary cheaper enactment available.

“There was nary edifice country successful Paris that was disposable astatine a little terms than that hotel,” she said.

“I was determination with different delegates and I benefited from each of the services, for example, the shuttle that enabled america to spell to the opening of the Games due to the fact that determination were information issues astatine stake.”

Tait said due to the fact that she had taken a formation to France for her holiday, she did not inquire CBC/Radio-Canada to wage for her airfare. Instead, she billed the disbursal of the bid to get to Paris.

This was Tait’s 3rd quality astatine the practice committee, which is studying caller occupation cuts made wrong CBC/Radio-Canada.

Tait past appeared astatine the practice committee successful May, wherever she was pressed implicit enforcement bonuses — a focal constituent of the committee’s enactment arsenic it studies caller occupation cuts made wrong CBC/Radio-Canada.

The nationalist broadcaster has travel nether scrutiny for giving retired bonuses to elder absorption successful the aforesaid fiscal twelvemonth arsenic it chopped hundreds of jobs.

CBC/Radio-Canada paid retired $18.4 cardinal successful bonuses to 1,194 employees for the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press done entree to accusation laws. More than $3.3 cardinal of that was paid to 45 executives.

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Between December 2023 and March 31, erstwhile the past fiscal twelvemonth ended, CBC/Radio-Canada eliminated 346 jobs from the enactment by laying disconnected 141 employees and eliminating 205 vacant positions.

Tait said she did not person what the institution refers to arsenic “performance pay” successful the fiscal twelvemonth 2022-23.

However, erstwhile asked by Conservative MP Damien Kurek, she did not accidental whether she volition garbage a bonus oregon taking a severance bundle erstwhile her word ends connected Jan. 3, 2025.

“I judge that Canadians would expect that the Corporation honour its commitments to its non-unionized employees arsenic it would to its employees,” Tait said.

Kurek said saying that “‘it’s confidential’ doesn’t chopped it for Canadians” nor for parliamentary oversight.

“So, again, I ask, volition you specifically contiguous stock with this committee whether oregon not you volition garbage a severance bundle oregon bonus astatine the decision of your word arsenic president and CEO of CBC News,” Kruk said.

To which Tait replied: “As I’ve said, I see that to beryllium a idiosyncratic matter. So I judge I’m protected by the Privacy Act successful that regard.”

In June, the broadcaster’s committee publically acknowledged the antagonistic optics of giving retired bonuses during the aforesaid fiscal twelvemonth that it made cuts. It has since launched a reappraisal of its compensation authorities for aboriginal years.

Tait said the recommendations of the reappraisal volition beryllium shared publically erstwhile they go disposable adjacent year.

Members of the practice committee unanimously said successful a study to the House of Commons earlier this twelvemonth that fixed the occupation cuts astatine CBC/Radio-Canada, it would beryllium inappropriate for nationalist broadcaster to assistance bonuses to enforcement members.

— with files from The Canadian Press