Liberal leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to enshrine and increase CBC/Radio-Canada funding if the Liberal Party of Canada is elected.

The announcement was made on Friday (April 4) during a campaign stop in Montreal. “If elected, my government will take action to enshrine and protect and strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada for generations to come,” said Carney during the stop.

He promised an initial $150-million increase to the pubcaster’s annual funding, as well as that the funding itself would be made statutory, meaning any future changes would need to be approved by Parliament rather than solely Cabinet.

The announcement comes as Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre has consistently promised to defund the CBC.

“[Poilievre’s] attack on CBC is an attack on Radio-Canada and it is an attack on our Canadian identity,” said Carney.

The pledge echoes aspects of former Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge’s February proposal to increase CBC/Radio-Canada’s funding. The proposal also argued for making that funding statutory.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) welcomed the news. According to CBC/Radio-Canada, the pubcaster provides more than $400 million in funding for independent productions across Canada each year.

“Rising trade tensions with the United States and ongoing attacks on our national sovereignty underscore the need to protect longstanding national institutions, such as Canada’s public broadcaster,” said Reynolds Mastin, CMPA president and CEO, in a statement. “A strong, well-funded national public broadcaster that serves all Canadians, invests in our stories and reinforces national unity is something the entire country should support.”

Writers Guild of Canada executive director Victoria Shen echoed the CMPA, calling CBC/Radio-Canada “critical” for the country’s cultural sovereignty. “CBC is a cornerstone [and] cultural institution, which has been a launching pad for award-winning programs created by Canadians and enjoyed around the world,” said Shen. “More than ever, we need to invest in Canadians making Canadian content and ensure we have a vibrant, diverse, domestic production industry.”

Marla Boltman, executive director of the non-profit Friends of Canadian Media, also welcomed the proposal, adding in a separate statement she expected to see similar proposals from other parties as the election progresses.

“By now it should be clear to all Canadians that President Trump’s unprovoked attacks have put our democracy and our sovereignty at risk. That makes CBC/Radio Canada’s role in gathering us as a national community more important than ever,” said Boltman. “Today’s announcement sends a strong message to Canadians that a properly funded and sustainable national public broadcaster is now a key ballot issue.”

Voting for the federal election is set for April 28.

More to come…

With files from Nicholas Sokic

Image: Unsplash