CBC president billed taxpayers for $1,000-a-night hotel stay at Paris Olympics

Catherine Tait, the outgoing CBC CEO, spent $3,955.38 for a four-night stay at a five-star hotel in Paris during the Summer Olympic Games, revealed public disclosures. A spokesperson with the broadcaster said the expense complied with its travel policies.

Catherine Tate CBC

Amid scandalous spending on bonus pay by Canada’s state broadcaster, an Access to Information request revealed its outgoing CEO spent $6,000 to attend the Paris Summer Olympic Games.

Catherine Tait, whose mandate with CBC/Radio Canada ends in January, spent July 25 to 29 abroad, billing taxpayers $1,000-per-night to stay at the luxurious Hôtel du Collectionneur.

Billed as the biggest five-star hotel in Paris, mere steps from Champs-Elysées Avenue, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took over the hotel to host international dignitaries and foreign ministers.

CBC/Radio-Canada is the official broadcaster of the Olympics in Canada through the 2032 Brisbane Games. 

The outgoing CEO spent $3,955.38 for a four-night stay at the hotel, revealed public disclosures. A spokesperson with the broadcaster said the expense complied with its travel policies.

Jeffrey Dvorkin, a retired public broadcasting executive, told the National Post that Tait’s travel expenses will likely raise eyebrows, at a time when the organization faces widespread condemnation for doling out $18.4 million in bonuses for the 2023–24 fiscal year.

“Given the importance of the Olympics as an audience and revenue-generating program, I don’t think it’s inappropriate for the president of the CBC to go over to where the event is happening and to be encouraging and be supportive,” said Dvorkin, who has held senior roles at both CBC and National Public Radio (NPR).

“But given the difficulties that the president has had over executive compensation, the timing may be inapt, shall we say,” he added. “It is not apparent to me that the issue around public relations at the CBC has been handled very well.”

The total cost of Tait’s trip, including meals, transport and other expenses, was $5,689.37, reported the Post. The broadcaster did not include flight costs as part of the taxpayer bill, citing she was already traveling in the country before the start of the Games.

“This government has a bad habit of billing struggling taxpayers for lavish spending in other countries, and taxpayers have had enough,” Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director, told Rebel News.

“Taxpayers now have 1,000 new reasons to defund the CBC,” he added.

Tait arrived the day before the opening ceremonies, attending a function at the Louvre Museum hosted by IOC President Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron. The only event disclosed on Tait’s calendar for July 26 was to attend the Olympics opening ceremony.

She met Bach again for a one-hour meeting on July 28, and with another IOC executive the day prior. A spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed Tait also met with “senior staff and partners of the Canadian Olympic Committee, officials from the Olympic Broadcasting Services and Olympic Channel Services, and senior executives from other public media.” 

Additional meetings during her stay took place with the broadcaster’s production team. She spent two hours with them on July 27, and had a “tour and lunch” at the Canadian Olympic House the next day.

Taxpayers also paid for her swanky $326.48 dinner at Dessirier restaurant with Chris Wilson, general manager of CBC/Radio-Canada Olympics, and the broadcaster’s associate general counsel. The restaurant bills itself as “the best of the sea in Paris.”

Tait set aside time to attend the fencing competition and the swimming finals on July 27, as well as the beach volleyball competition the following day, records show.

She left Paris by train around noon on July 29.

“Canadians are fed up with the government living high on the hog with our tax dollars,” Terrazzano said. “Government bureaucrats and politicians need to stop treating taxpayers like their piggy bank and show respect for Canadians' hard-earned money.”

“The government must end this life of luxury, scrap the taxpayer-funded bonuses and defund the CBC,” he added.

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Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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