Audit This

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is entering its 39th day of a lockout of its 5,500 employees. When the lockout ends, and it will mercifully end in the near future, we’ll need to take stock and assess where the CBC is now and where it will go next.

We need a fresh beginning and the best way to start is an audit of the CBC.

An audit is a process with strict standards and conducted in the service of Canada’s parliament. The office of the Auditor General reports to the House of Commons, not to the government or any political party. The Auditor General seeks to reveal the financial activities of public institutions. As they say “independent information, advice and assurance to help hold the government to account for its stewardship of public funds.”

The CBC is one such public institution.

According to the Financial Administration Act, most Crown corporations are audited every 5 years. This is called a “performance” audit. A “financial” audit, is performed annually, just like any self-respecting corporation in the public or private sector. According to the Auditor General's Communications contact, a special "examination report [read performance audit] will be issued shortly'. They will also include the lockout time frame into the next financial audit, which is due in May of 2006.

An audit of the CBC can provide management, workers and the public with valuable information about its operations. From this understanding, the CBC can move forward in a progressive and non-combative manner. For far too long the “Us vs Them “ mentality surrounding negotiations seems outdated and outmoded as a means of settling contracts. The climate created between upper management and the union is one of anger, distrust and bitterness.

Once this lockout is over, the CBC’s upper management VPs must resign, because they’ve failed to provide the kind of direction worthy of a public broadcaster. The leadership of the CMG must be respectfully retired, because they are burned out.

It’s time to move into the 21st century with new people. We need a common goal to serve the public and not the dollar; to service ideas and not chase ratings. Only by making a completely fresh start with younger, qualified and energized people, will the CBC be able to continue to do its job effectively. Otherwise it’s business as usual, and that's unacceptable.

That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.