A former Tory cabinet minister, Lisa Raitt, pointed out that the Liberal government made it easier for Bell to lay off 9 percent of its workforce and should not be surprised by the company’s announcement. According to Raitt, the Ministry of Labour would have received a request at least 16 weeks ago from Bell to waive the statutory process when laying off so many people. However, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan disputed Raitt’s assertion, claiming that the Department of Labour learned about the layoffs on the same day as the public.
Prime Minister Trudeau expressed anger and frustration at Bell’s decision to lay off 4,800 employees and sell nearly half of its regional radio stations. He stated that this “garbage decision” would affect local quality journalism. Despite these statements, as a former Labour Minister and MP, O’Regan argued that companies are not required to notify the government about layoffs. However, Raitt posted a portion of the Labour Code to clarify the situation, outlining the law’s requirement of 16 weeks’ notice for employees in a group termination and the possibility for the Minister to waive that requirement.
Bell’s news operations have been losing $40 million annually, forcing the closure of 45 of its 103 radio stations and cutbacks on newscasts. The company also downsized its executive team and froze executive salaries to adapt. O’Regan vowed to make sure that Bell follows its obligations under the Labour Code and that workers receive what they are entitled to. He also claimed that the government would “consciously protect and invest in journalism” and pointed out tax credits and incentives totaling nearly $600 million to assist Canadian media organizations, with Bell Media as one of the recipients.
Despite these assertions, Bell blamed the government for undermining investments in Bell networks and called attention to a recent ruling by the CRTC regarding access to its high-speed fiber network as a cause for loss. The government, on the other hand, emphasized its efforts to support and protect journalism through various means, including legislation and financial assistance.