The Tea Makers

At the CBC, election time is the best time to get your fear on.

At the same it’s hard for some of us to work up a truly frenzied lather. The Liberals failed to deliver on their promises to us, so we’re already experts in dollar-stretching and cutting.

Exacerbating suspicions are the vague statements made by political party leaders. We had a lot of fair-weather friends last year when the sun was shining, and they all had a lot to say about the CBC.

Since then they’ve shut up.

For what it’s worth, I wrote all of them weeks ago, asking their stances on the CBC with the promise that I would post the answers verbatim on the Tea Makers.

No one responded.

Our Public Airwaves, the public broadcasting lobby and advocacy group the CMG helped found, and the people behind the More CBC campaign (“more funding!“), the Save Our CBC campaign (“end the lockout and more funding!“), and the New CBC campaign (“Bobby must resign and more funding!“) is taking another kick at the can with the Stronger CBC campaign (“hey, we weren’t kidding around about that funding!“). They also have a good look at the past and current party positions on the CBC, such as they are.

As does the CMG.

And if you live in Toronto, CMG Toronto has some responses to an email they sent out to politicians. One who didn’t respond was Maria Minna, probably because local CMG prez Joe Hill is pissed at her for using pictures of herself on the CBC picket line in her campaign literature.

“Using the photo to pretend that you have been a staunch supporter of the CBC and its employees is misleading at best.”

Ian Morrison of Friends of Canadian Broadcasting responds:

“Maria Minna has been one of our top supporters. She’s been instrumental in seeing CBC funding increased and helping behind the scenes.”

She has?

I wouldn’t mind seeing one of those dollars she was instrumental in getting.

Just one of them.