Canada’s public broadcaster could face funding cuts as part of a broad reaching strategy to reduce the national deficit.
The federal government is looking to reduce the multi-billion dollar deficit with a strategy to cut five per cent and 10 per cent from various federal departments, which would include Heritage Canada that provides funding to the CBC.
MP John Rafferty (NDP, Thunder Bay – Rainy River) says any agency or department that receives public funding like the CBC should be held accountable, but it’s important to weigh in the importance of the organization as well.
“I happen to believe that it’s important to have a national broadcaster,” Rafferty said during a phone interview with tbnewswatch.com Monday.
“Most countries in the world have a broadcaster. There’s many parts of CBC that people don’t see. For example, our overseas service and our Radio One, Two and Three service, which in terms of cost efficiency is very cost efficient.
“They get news and research journalism out in what I believe to be an effective and cost effective manner.”
People in bigger cities have more media outlets to choose from but many parts of the country don’t have those same options.
Rafferty said that’s why having a national public broadcaster like the CBC is so important.
MP Greg Rickford (Con., Kenora) said no decisions have been made yet on what exactly the party plans to do to reduce funding.
He added that all departments and agencies are being looked at and it wouldn’t be fair if they exempt a single organization.
“We have a responsibility to look at every department and agency,” he said.
“We feel confident that the CBC can effectively fulfill their mandate and also participate in our plan of a broader goal of growing the Canadian economy. We have made a clear commitment to balance the budget by 2015.
“We were elected on that commitment. In order to keep out commitment a statement has to be made that everyone in government has to do their part to balance that budget and that includes the CBC.”
