Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Tait, for being here today.
I want to start by saying that like many people in the room, I think, I'm a big supporter of the CBC and the work you do. I have a lot of respect for people who work at the national broadcasting corporation and the work they do to share information, especially in an age of disinformation and a lot of challenges that are out there in getting information to people. I want to start off by saying that, because I think it's important. I see the value in the organization.
The challenge we have just as Canadians in general is that the world is changing, and we're going through a bit of a rough time from the economic downturn post-COVID. There are a lot of challenges out there. A lot of companies and certain sectors are being impacted in a very challenging way, especially your sector.
I know that you're in a unique situation. Sometimes you can compare yourself to the other broadcasters—I think you compared compensation, the work they do and things like that, and how they operate from that perspective—but you're also publicly funded, and sometimes you can't compare yourself to those organizations. It's a bit of a challenge being in that situation.
Tone is an important thing during these challenging times, and when Canadians see $16 million going out in bonuses, it's hard to stomach, especially when they see cuts. Usually bonuses happen when things are good, when the world is great and when the organization is feeling good. Things are good and we give out bonuses. That's what a bonus is: “Hey, things are good.” But things are not good. The $16 million represents, at roughly $75,000 a year, one-third of the jobs that are being cut—200 jobs. Two hundred jobs at $75,000 is about $16 million, so it's almost one-third of your problem if a job is on average at $75,000.
For us, it's hard to accept bonuses being paid when things are challenging. I know you said that this is the board of directors and they have a set of criteria they use, but you're the CEO. You can make a recommendation at any given moment to the board of directors. Would you consider asking the board of directors to reconsider the bonus structure at CBC?