Conservatives dangle CBC budget cuts in front of members to raise funds

Assurances from the Harper government the country's national broadcaster's budget was not on the chopping block may not be exactly what's going on behind closed doors.

The Conservative party is dangling the prospect of CBC cuts as part of a fundraising drive.

In a letter sent out to Conservative membership, the party asks whether the more than $1-billion Ottawa spends on the CBC is "good value" or "bad value."

A "P.S." to the letter notes: "This survey is very, very important to our legislative planning."

Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reported two Conservative MPs — Rob Anders and Ed Holder — are taking it a step further, asking their constituents in surveys whether the government should keep funding the CBC.

On his website, Anders asks the following question: "The CBC was funded over $1 billion by the Government of Canada last year alone. Should the CBC remain publicly funded?"

Anders is also promoting a petition to "defund the Canadian Broadcasting Co."

"We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following: that the Government of Canada funds the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to the sum of $1.1 Billion per annum; that the vast amount of Government of Canada funding gives the CBC an unfair advantage over its private sector competitors; therefore your petitioners call upon Parliament to end public funding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation," reads the petition.

Holder is a little more subtle. This week's 'poll' on his site asks the following question: "Do you believe taxpayers should continue to provide annual funding to CBC Radio?"

Earlier this year, James Moore, minister for Canadian Heritage, said CBC won't be exempt from the five per cent across-the-board federal budget cuts, but reaffirmed his government's support for the public broadcaster.

Obviously, not all his Conservative colleagues agree with that policy.

(CBC Photo)