Canadian Heritage won't release a memo on CBC funding until after the next federal budget, according to Blacklock’s. This follows the Liberals' promise to the CBC of a multi-million dollar funding increase if elected, despite the state broadcaster already receiving a $1.4 billion annual operational subsidy. 

On May 30, a memo was sent to Minister Steven Guilbeault, eight weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged record CBC funding on April 4, stating, “Canadians rely on CBC… to keep up with what’s happening.”

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Canadian Heritage announced Thursday it would delay releasing the memo until 2026, citing a "large number of records" request. This means the document won't be available until after the next federal budget.

Carney cautions Canadians about foreign interference and claims Poilievre is amplifying the problem by calling to defund the CBC.

"Canada's identity and institutions are under attack by foreign interference," he says. pic.twitter.com/x7N8xKbHpt

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 4, 2025

Former Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge proposed increasing CBC funding by 79%, from $1.4 billion to $2.5 billion annually, emphasizing the importance of "our own tools of communication."

The Canadian government, under Liberal leadership since 2015, funds the CBC at $33 per person per year. "We need to aim closer to the middle ground, which is $62 per year per person," St-Onge said on February 20.

“Can the country afford that?” asked a reporter. “I think we need to envision the investments we are making in our public broadcaster as a national security issue,” replied the minister.

Despite controversy over executive bonuses after mass layoffs, a 2024 Canadian Heritage report recommended increasing the CBC's funding. The broadcaster's annual parliamentary grant has risen from $1 billion to $1.4 billion in the last decade.

.@CdnHeritage won't disclose memo to @S_Guilbeault on "new approach" to @CBC funding after Libs promised extra millions on top of #CBC $1.4B/yr subsidy if re-elected. "It's now or never."  https://t.co/0xymxnDWWP #cdnpoli #cdnmedia pic.twitter.com/I15PRXxfVE

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) August 29, 2025

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) advocates for the complete defunding of the CBC after the Liberal government proposed nearly doubling its taxpayer-funded budget and concealing its financial reports.

“It is outrageous for the government to try to hide the cost of the CBC from the taxpayers who are paying its bills,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “This government is totally out [of] touch if it thinks it can nearly double CBC’s cost to taxpayers and try to hide its costs.”

A $2.5 billion budget could cover the annual grocery bill for roughly 152,854 Canadian families, according to the taxpayer advocate.

Instead, Carney pledged to boost CBC funding by $150 million and make it statutory, calling it "the most important of Canadian institutions," dismissing budget cuts to the broadcaster as "an attack on our … identity."

Carney increased the broadcaster’s budget by $42 million for now, with a full budget expected in the fall.

Pierre Poilievre reiterates his promise to halt taxpayer funding to the CBC:

"We're going to defund the CBC and let Canadians enjoy it as a non-profit, self-funded organization," he says. pic.twitter.com/endykHlT9X

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 15, 2025

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly called for cuts to CBC subsidies, but Canadian Heritage dismissed these suggestions and formed an advisory panel—comprised of seven federal funding recipients—to endorse an expanded mandate.

A 2017 Conservative bill to privatize the state broadcaster within three years failed in a 260-6 vote. Though the majority of Conservative MPs rejected the motion, its tenets became Conservative policy in 2020.

Poilievre maintains those sentiments by supporting cuts to English-language TV programming. "The CBC frankly is a biased propaganda arm of the Liberal Party," he told reporters in 2023.

"We need a neutral and free media, … where everyday Canadians decide what they think rather than having Liberal propaganda jammed down their throats."