Records show that federal government executives pocketed $190 million from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, federal executive and management bonuses cost more than $190 million last year. The Treasury Board said paid-out bonuses are a credit to the “world class public service.”

The performance pay bonuses were hoarded mainly by the top brass and executives of over 20 government departments.

Executives of the Canadian Tourism Commission received bonus payments of over $30,000. In addition, payments for “performance” came during a pandemic where regular employees from the commission were laid off, tourism was locked down, and tourism spending received a 50% budget cut. 

Meanwhile, Canada’s state broadcast, the CBC, paid over $30 million in pandemic bonuses — and still requested government subsidies.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano said raising taxes on struggling taxpayers so CBC executives can get bonuses is unfair. 

“If it has enough money lying around to hand out millions in bonuses and pay raises during a pandemic, then taxpayers have every right to question why the CBC is taking so much money from us,” he said in a statement. 

According to The Wire Report, Senator Percy Downe requested to change an amendment related to the Broadcasting Act so that CBC has to release some employee salaries. 

“As a public broadcaster largely funded by taxpayers, the CBC has a greater obligation than private broadcasters to be open about how it spends that money,” Downe told the Senate.

CBC stated in its compensation summary of senior executives that the regime for Governor-in-council appointees governs compensation for the president and CEO. Compensation data includes the base salary pay and all taxable benefits, but CBC did not disclose if any executives received tax-deductible benefits. 

For example, dividend payments receive a wide range of tax deduction benefits. They are often the desired bonus payment method for executives looking to minimize tax implications on enormous earnings. 

As previously reported by The Counter Signal, a September poll from Mainstreet Research found that 16% of Liberal voters strongly support defunding CBC, and 16% somewhat support the tax-saving strategy.

Another 29% of Bloc voters, 71% of Conservative voters, and 9% of NDP voters support or somewhat support the move to defund.