The chief executive of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC), Catherine Tait, is currently under review by a House of Commons committee for her travel and accommodation expenses, which totalled approximately $6,000 at the Paris Olympics last summer.
During Monday’s committee meeting for Canadian heritage, MPs questioned Tait about her trip to France, which included a four-night stay at a five-star Parisian hotel. Tait clarified that she was in France on a “personal trip” during the Olympic games, but was also representing CBC/Radio-Canada – the official broadcaster of the games in Canada.
Tait dismissed any suggestions that she had used taxpayers’ money for her personal trip, stating, “I made it very clear why I was in Paris as CEO at the Olympic Games, one of the most important events where Canada performed spectacularly.”
According to a disclosure of her travel expenses, Tait travelled to Paris for “business meetings and business events” during the Olympics from July 25 to 29. The report shows that Tait charged a total of $5,869.37 to the CBC for her stay in Paris.
Tait defended her stay at the Hôtel du Collectionneur – a $1,000-per-night establishment – stating that it was the official hotel of the Olympic games and that there were no cheaper alternatives available.
This is Tait’s third appearance at the heritage committee, which is currently investigating recent job cuts within CBC/Radio-Canada. The public broadcaster has been criticised for distributing bonuses to senior management in the same fiscal year it cut hundreds of jobs.
Tait stated that she did not receive “performance pay” in the fiscal year 2022-23. However, she did not confirm whether she would refuse a bonus or severance package upon the conclusion of her term in January 2025, considering it to be a “personal matter.”
The broadcaster’s board has acknowledged the negative image of awarding bonuses during a year of job cuts and has initiated a review of its compensation system for future years. The outcome of this review will be shared publicly in 2025.
