Canadian Heritage Committee on Dec. 5th, 2023

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I'm sorry. I moved the amendment, and I wasn't done. I just wanted to make sure the floor was given back to me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Oh, you haven't finished. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Are you reading it out again?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I just want to be really clear here. What this motion does, then, is call for Ms. Tait, the head of the CBC and Radio-Canada, to come to this committee and answer our questions. It also asks that we report to the House that it would be “imprudent” or “inappropriate” for the CBC to grant bonuses to its top executive members. This is because the head of the CBC, Ms. Tait, made the decision to cut 600 jobs. If she were then to go forward with giving bonuses to executives, what type of message would that send?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Have you finished your amendment? Do I have all the wording of it?

Because I have to read this into the record, so we can do it, what I have is that you are saying, “and that the committee report to the House that, given these job cuts, it would be inappropriate for the CBC to grant bonuses to executive—

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Madam Chair, I have a point of order on this.

I don't know if it's appropriate, before we even do a study, to ask to report back to the House. That's something we do after we do a study. Why, in the initial study, would we say we're going to report to the House? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. That's something you do after you do the study. The whole point of this study is to bring Catherine Tait here and ask her those very questions. Then, absolutely, if it makes sense, we report back to the House what we heard.

Why would we report back to the House without hearing any evidence?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

That's an important point taken, Ms. Hepfner.

Mr. Shields.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think that putting it in a motion ensures that it's going to be reported to the House. We're stating that up front.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

We haven't heard anything yet, though.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

That's right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Shields, I will, however, following up on what Ms. Hepfner said, just say to the committee that you will make the decision but I would ask, do we know for starters that there are going to be bonuses given? We cannot presume that this is going to happen.

We're making a recommendation within a motion to do a study, which is a little backward in terms of how we do work here, so I'm just putting that on the table for people to listen to as they vote on the amendment or not.

I still think it's appropriate in some ways to bring forward this amendment, so why don't we vote on it, if you're ready and unless you have any new points to offer? I've read out what Ms. Thomas said. May I—

Mr. Shields.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Is it in both languages?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is the motion...? Is it appropriate that we make a recommendation? Is the amendment appropriate?

[The Clerk]

There is precedence to report to the House based on a motion adopted—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

The clerk is saying it is appropriate to jump the gun on this one, so I'm presenting you with the amendment. Can we speak to the amendment, please, and only the amendment?

Mr. Coteau.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Back to your point, Chair, we don't know what the current plan is. It would be nice to find out, but instead of making a conclusion before we hear from the witness, perhaps it could say something like—and maybe MP Thomas will take this as friendly advice—“to come and speak on the issue of CBC bonuses”, rather than just jumping to one conclusion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Thomas, do you have a response to that?

We are trying the amendment to be obviously.... I think everyone is in agreement with you, so can we get something that we can all agree with?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I would leave my amendment as is.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You would leave your amendment as it is.

Therefore, unless there is any further discussion on the amendment, I wonder if we could call the vote. I'd like the clerk to please read out the vote.

Go ahead.

[The Clerk]

I can read out the motion as amended, that second paragraph, just so it's clear. With the amendment, the motion would read:

That the committee prioritize this motion over all other current and future studies and other committee business, so that the committee devote its first meeting at the return from the holiday recess to it and that the committee report to the House that given these job cuts, it would be inappropriate for the CBC/Radio-Canada to grant bonuses to executive members.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Now, please call the vote. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Coteau.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I'd like to move an amendment to the motion, then.

I had my hand up before the vote was called.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I called the vote.

You had spoken, Mr. Coteau, and you had ended, so I am calling the vote.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

The clerk spoke, though, and read the actual amendment, and I put my hand up, and then you said you were going to call the vote. My hand was up before you said, “Let's go to the vote.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I did allow you to speak, but go ahead, just allow.... Otherwise, we're going to be wordsmithing this whole thing. Let's get it moving.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I made a suggestion earlier that rather than jump to a conclusion, maybe we'd just direct the clerk to put in the motion, rather than the last piece that was added by MP Thomas, a focus that's more specifically on inviting Ms. Tait to come to speak on the issue of bonuses.