The Conservative Party vows to kill the CBC if it wins this election, but an upcoming Mount Royal University debate aims to test the merits of that promise.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he “can’t wait to defund the CBC and sell off the headquarters for housing.”
The Free Press’ Rupa Subramanya and Max Fawcett, with Canada’s National Observer, will debate Poilievre’s claims about the CBC on April 16 at MRU’s Ross Glenn Hall.
The debate will mimic Oxford Union’s format. Both parties will flip a coin to determine who speaks first, followed by the arguments in favour of and against Poilievre’s promise. The debate concludes with a moderated question-and-answer session, some of which will come from the audience.
Why host a debate?
Leah Hamilton, vice dean of research and community relations in the faculty of business, communication studies and aviation at Mount Royal University, says MRU plays a vital role as a public forum for debate and public ideas.
“I believe universities have a long history of serving as forums for public debate and intellectual exchange of many kinds, and MRU can play a critical role in fostering informed dialogue,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton also says Poilievre’s promise to defund the CBC connects to the issue of spending.
“This is an opportunity for people to learn more about the issue, how the CBC is funded, or some of their funding challenges,” she said.
CBC/Radio-Canada received $1.44 billion from the federal government in 2023-24 and produced $493.5 million in revenue.
Canada without a public broadcaster
Open to the public, the debate intends to give audience members a chance to understand what defunding the CBC would mean.
Hamilton highlights how Poilievre’s promise is not simply an issue of media and news but affects a broader group of Canadians outside English urban centres.
“We need to talk about the French-language content as well,” she said.
Poilievre intends to cut funding for the English services, while keeping the French-language Radio-Canada service.
Critics say it will be challenging to keep the French service alive if the English service disappears because both are so interconnected.
Supporters of the CBC, such as Friends of Canadian Media, say the public broadcaster plays an important role in democracy and supports Canadian artists, musicians, filmmakers, and both regional and remote coverage.
Conservative Member of Parliament Damien Kurek called the CBC a “broken and failing propaganda machine” last year, adding his party would “turn the CBC headquarters into beautiful homes for Canadian families.” Kurek vowed that Conservatives will “defund the CBC while preserving funding to ensure francophone Canadians continue to receive news services.”
Beyond the debate
Despite Poilievre’s promise, Hamilton says the debate is important beyond the election campaign.
“It links to bigger conversations about mis- and disinformation and discussions about the future of media consumption and Canadians’ trust in the media,” said Hamilton.
Members of the public can register for the free event here. The debate will also be live-streamed on YouTube.
