Thank you, Madam Chair.
I laugh when people say they get bonuses. Listen, I've been in the business a long time. Bonuses are given every year to Bell executives, to Rogers executives and to every executive in the media in this country. They get bonuses at the end of the year. The difference here is that this is a public institution, not a private one.
If the CBC decides to give bonuses, we can stand up and all decry that they're getting their bonuses, but this has been going on for decades in this business. This is not new.
What really disturbed me, Madam Chair, if you don't mind my saying it, is that the last time Ms. Tait was here, she knew these cuts were coming. It takes months of preparation to cut back 600 to 700 employees. This doesn't just happen in a week. She knew when she was at this committee that these were coming and at this time. CBC has done this in the past in December, and she knew full well in committee that they were prepared for a mass exodus of news journalists. That's where this should go.
As for bonuses, yes, we're all upset, but this has happened in the business, Madam Chair, for decades.