OTTAWA – The ongoing rift between CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais and Ontario regional commissioner Raj Shoan appears to have deepened, after Blais allegedly refused to approve Shoan's proposed travel for 2015-16.
According to a Canadian Press report this week, Blais nixed Shoan’s potential trips to Las Vegas, Amsterdam, New York City and Mont Tremblant, travel that totaled $78,000. Shoan later reduced the amount to $48,000 "under protest," describing it instead as a wish list of conferences and meetings from which he invited Blais to pick and choose which ones to approve.
"Given that you have refused to provide me with a budget that accords with what has been provided to other commissioners and what is typical for my office in order to fulfil my duties and obligations as the Ontario commissioner, I will escalate this issue to the minister of Canadian heritage, the Prime Minister's Office and the appropriate representative of Parliament", Shoan allegedly wrote in an email dated May 22.
"No reasonable person could interpret [your statements] as anything but threatening, specifically with the intent to bully me into the outcome you want…", Blais replied in an email, according to the report.
