Canada Needs The CBC Far More Than It Needs Pierre Poilievre

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted March 7th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

 “CBC/Radio-Canada is more than a broadcaster—it is a pillar of our cultural identity and a cornerstone of our sovereignty. For nearly a century, it has brought us together, shared our stories and strengthened our national dialogue. In a time of rapid change and external pressures, we must be bold in protecting and modernizing this institution, ensuring it remains strong, independent and truly reflective of who we are.”                             — Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

As we Canadians from coast to coast to coast continue to wrestle with the threats that Trump is making to our everyday lives, to jobs and our economy and to our country’s sovereignty, and as a continue to follow the race for who will be our next Prime Minister, anyone who has been tuned in to CBC radio or watched the national CBC TV news network may well agree with the words quoted above.

I am not saying that other Canadian networks like CTV and Global have not been providing some good coverage on these issues. But pound for pound, I don’t believe that any radio or television network has been more consistently and constantly there to provide a Canadian perspective when these issues and others of interest and concern reach a head than our more than 90-year-old, publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting system.

What is troubling though is that at least one Canadian who could soon be in a position to do lasting damage to the CBC and possibly even destroy it is doesn’t agree.

That Canadian is Pierre Poilievre, leader of the federal Conservative Party, who like his American soul mate Donald Trump, has had a habit of snapping at news reporters when he doesn’t like their questions, Poilievre, like Trump, who is threatening to cut federal funding to national public radio and television in his country, has pledged to “defund” the CBC.

In an exclusive interview Poilievre did with the conservative leaning Toronto Sun as recently as this past December 2024, he was asked, once again, if he would defund CBC if he is elected prime minister.

Canada’s federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre

“I’m going to do it (and) very quick, Poilievre replied

“I’m going to defund the CBC. That’s my commitment. My commitment has been the same since I first said it at my very first leadership rally in Regina. ‘We will defund the CBC to save a billion dollars.’ That was my commitment then, it’s my commitment now.”

During the interview, the Toronto Sun did point out that Poilievre defunding the CBC is one of his “biggest applause lines at any of (his) rallies” which is not so surprising given that a recent Angus Reid poll show that about one third of the Conservative leader’s supporters also approve of Trump.

There is no argument here that a billion dollars is a lot of money, just as the multiple billions of dollars spent on other services and subsidies, including subsidies to Canada’s tar sand operations, is a lot of money.

But when it comes to cutting services like the CBC, there is hardly a hint from Poilievre that he has bothered to weigh the cost against the common good benefits they provide.

We will most certainly be having a federal election soon, and I hope my fellow Canadians keep Poilievre’s pledge to cut public services like this (just as him kindred spirit south of the border now is) in mind.

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

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