Federal government refuses to say if it approved bonus for CBC CEO Catherine Tait

The Liberal government is refusing to say if it approved a bonus for the head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., as Opposition Conservatives demand answers and New Democrats call for a ban on such bonuses.

It is up to the federal government to approve a bonus for Catherine Tait following a review of her performance and a recommendation by the board of directors at CBC/Radio-Canada.

CBC deferred questions to the federal government. Canadian Heritage, which oversees the Crown corporation, deferred questions to the Privy Council Office, which supports cabinet and the prime minister.

Citing privacy laws, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office said it cannot disclose details, even though some of that information from past years has been made public.

In May, Tait told the House heritage committee that she last received a bonus for fiscal year 2021-22 and that she had not yet received performance pay for fiscal year 2022-23 — information that's also available on the CBC website.

Tait's salary range is between $468,900 and $551,600 and the government sets her bonus — which she receives if she meets certain criteria — at between seven per cent and 28 per cent of her salary.

Opposition Conservatives want Tait to return to the committee and provide answers on bonuses.

The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors recently approved over $18.4 million in bonuses for nearly 1,200 employees, managers and executives for the 2023-24 fiscal year after the broadcaster eliminated hundreds of jobs.

The Privy Council Office wouldn't say if the board had recommended a bonus for Tait, or if the federal government gave its stamp of approval.

«Clearly, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are content to give CBC executives and their handpicked CEO