Thank you.
Madam Tait, I want to begin by saying that during the testimony, we heard from one of the whistle-blowers that they in fact did speak to you personally about the abuse of NDAs, including in their case. I understand that it is an issue that has been raised with you.
I want to share an excerpt from an anonymous employee who wrote the following: “It is anathema to what CBC rightly expects from its journalists—transparency, accountability and fairness. The CBC actually uses public funds to pay private lawyers to insulate its legal department from the burden of grinding down its own employees through this abusive process. Someone needs to ask Ms. Tait, on the record, about the extent of CBC's practice to demand NDAs and other gagging devices, such as non-disparagement clauses, when settling with employees who have well-founded and proven claims of abuse.”
I will also add to that whistle-blower's statement another whistle-blower's statement, that they were told that they had to sign an NDA in order for their case to be investigated.
These are chilling stories for any media organization, but I would say that it is wildly unacceptable for our state broadcaster to be running the show like this. It is wildly unacceptable for the CBC, which is publicly funded and built by Canadians, to be treating its employees like this.
What we've heard today is how under your leadership and under the current CBC reality, our national broadcaster, perhaps paralyzed by fear of right-wing attacks, is making poor choice after poor choice. The doling out of exorbitant executive bonuses is unacceptable at a time when we've seen cuts and layoffs and and of course Canadians going through such a difficult time.
The crushing of all internal complaints through the abuse of non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements and the mass firings of workers in your organization are unacceptable. CBC is increasingly resembling the Bells of this world, and Canadians will not stand for it.