For Immediate Release

Comment by Ian Morrison, FRIENDS’ Spokesperson, on today’s federal budget

Acknowledging that budget cuts over the years have gone too far, the federal government has significantly increased funding to the Department of National Defence. But Canada’s best cultural defender – the CBC – has been left in the waiting room.

With more surplus than the federal government knows what to do with, Paul Martin stood in the House of Commons to deliver his seventh budget this afternoon and didn’t mention the CBC even once. Indeed, the word "culture" barely saw the light of day in the hundreds of pages of budget documents released earlier Monday.

His sole cultural reference was directed at Canadian content on the Internet:

" ... as Canadians – especially young Canadians – turn more and more to the Internet as a source of information, it is important that they see their own reflection and hear their own stories .... providing funding to enhance the presence of Canadian cultural material on the Internet in both official languages."

Ottawa’s decision to pass over the CBC is consistent with the Prime Minister’s profound disdain for Canada’s national public broadcaster and his determination to see CBC diminished. After solemnly promising during the 1993 election in their famous "Red Book" that a Liberal government would provide "stable long term financing" to the CBC, Prime Minister Chrétien’s government proceeded to slash CBC funding by $400 million. Paul Martin co-authored that "Red Book" promise.

Damage to the public broadcaster has been well documented:

• CBC Radio is becoming Canada’s repeat network – every third hour broadcast by CBC Radio is now repeat programming.
• The quality of CBC Radio and TV programs has suffered and several thousand of CBC’s talented creators have been laid off – with more layoffs to follow in May.
• Cuts to CBC’s operations in cities throughout the country are turning the CBC into the Toronto Broadcasting Corporation.

Unfortunately, CBC’s new President Robert Rabinovitch has decided to work with the existing budget of the CBC. Prior to today’s budget he has not even asked the government to consider using any of its huge budgetary surplus to stem the continuing erosion of CBC’s broadcasting services.

The result translates into even more cuts announced by the CBC just weeks before Paul Martin’s budget, with as many as 750 further layoffs planned for May. It’s a sorry day for Canadians who wish to “see their own reflection and hear their own stories” on radio and television.

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For information:

Jim Thompson (613) 567-9592

Related Links

Background:     

FRIENDS' Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance

Parliamentary Transcript of Q&A Session