By Patrick Lagace
November 9, 2014
In early 1995, CBC/Radio-Canada president Tony Manera handed his resignation to prime minister Jean Chrétien, citing the proverbial “personal reasons.” Later, Mr. Manera opened up about the real reason why he suddenly quit his job as chief of the public broadcaster: “I will not preside over the dismantling of the CBC,” he told Macleans.
Just before his resignation, Mr. Manera was given his budgetary marching orders by the recently elected Liberal government: Cut $270-million from your $1.1-billion budget. Mr. Manera refused, putting his loyalty to the institution above the political loyalty expected of him.
Hubert Lacroix, the corporation’s current president, is no Tony Manera.
Mr. Lacroix, a career business lawyer, was appointed head of the CBC by the federal Conservatives in 2007. His reign at this highly important institution for culture and media has amounted to little more than enabler for the steady, quiet dismantling of Radio-Canada. At the very least, you’d expect a public servant of his calibre to mount some kind of token resistance. But don’t hold your breath: Mr. Lacroix always seems to have some public relations-written Pablum to justify what’s coming down the pipe.
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