Canadians: Tell Ontario legislature to stop power-grab by chief electoral officer
OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — The Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF) testified Tuesday that it is in citizens’ best interests to defund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
CTF Alberta director Kris Sims called on Parliament to abolish all taxpayer funding to CBC, arguing that propping up the media outlet is not only a waste of money but also creates a conflict of interest for journalists.
“We are here to speak for thousands of hard-working taxpayers who want to defund the CBC,” Sims opened. “This needs to happen for three important reasons: the cost of the CBC, nearly nobody is watching the CBC, and journalists should not be paid by the government.”
Sims revealed that CBC is receiving $1.4 billion from taxpayer annually and argued that the money could “pay the salaries of around 7,000 paramedics and 7,000 police officers.”
She added, “That money could instead pay for groceries for about 85,000 Canadian families for a year.”
Additionally, Sims pointed out that CBC’s own quarterly report found that its network audience share is only 1.7%, meaning over 98% of Canadians are not watching CBC.
Finally, Sims declared that Canadian journalists cannot be considered “free” if their salaries are being paid by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
“A free press means journalists free from government,” she explained. “A journalist who is paid by the government is in a direct conflict of interest. You cannot hold the powerful government to account when you’re counting on the powerful government for your paycheck.”
Indeed, Sims’ concerns are hardly unfounded as Liberals have repeatedly told government-funded media outlets to scrutinize the Conservative Party.
In October, Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge’s department admitted that federally funded media outlets buy “social cohesion.”
Additionally, in September, House leader Karina Gould directed mainstream media reporters to “scrutinize” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has repeatedly condemned government-funded media as an arm of the Liberals.
Gould’s comments were in reference to Poilievre’s promise to defund the CBC if elected prime minister. Poilievre is a longtime critic of government-funded media, especially the CBC.
There have been multiple instances of the CBC pushing what appears to be ideological content, including the creation of pro-LGBT material for kids, tacitly endorsing the gender mutilation of children, promoting euthanasia, and even seeming to justify the burning of mostly Catholic churches throughout the country.
Despite this, beginning in 2019, Parliament changed the Income Tax Act to give yearly rebates of 25 percent for each news employee in cabinet-approved media outlets earning up to $55,000 a year to a maximum of $13,750.
The Canadian Heritage Department since admitted that the payouts are not even sufficient to keep legacy media outlets running and recommended that the rebates be doubled to a maximum of $29,750 annually.
Last November, Trudeau again announced increased payouts for legacy media outlets that coincide with the leadup to the 2025 election. The subsidies are expected to cost taxpayers $129 million over the next five years.
Similarly, Trudeau’s 2024 budget earmarked $42 million in increased funding for the CBC in 2024-25.
That amount to the CBC is in addition to massive media payouts that already make up roughly 70 percent of its operating budget and total more than $1 billion annually.
Canadians: Tell Ontario legislature to stop power-grab by chief electoral officer