Near the end of the latest federal budget, tucked away like so many controversial measures before it, in a distant corner of an omnibus bill, is a deceptively innocuous, deeply worrying piece of legislation that will give the government unprecedented controls over Crown corporations.

The budget implementation bill tabled last week contains provisions that will allow the government to intervene in the collective bargaining and executive salary negotiations of more than 40 Crown corporations, including VIA Rail, Canada Post and, most problematically, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Given the Harper government’s history of hard-line interventions in Crown corporations’ labour disputes, affected unions are understandably worried. Denis Lemelin, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, decried the measures as an “unbelievable” threat to “our right to negotiate” — a concern that could not have been assuaged by Wednesday’s question period discussion of the measure.

“I am not here to take marching orders from union bosses,” said Pierre Poilievre, parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport. “I represent taxpayers and frankly taxpayers expect us to keep costs under control so that we can keep taxes down.” That’s not a bad objective in itself, but in the absence of any mention of the public interest Crown corporations are designed to serve, it’s cause for concern.

In the case of the CBC, the threat the new provisions pose to that public interest is clear. Social media was rife last week with unlikely claims that the Harper government, by giving itself these new powers, is attempting to make a Pravda of the CBC. But more troubling than that far-fetched hypothetical is the reality.

By taking control of salary negotiations the government will necessarily exert tacit political influence, compromising the independence necessary for the CBC to serve its important democratic function. What government hasn’t occasionally been angry at the CBC and its handling of the news? Are we to believe that politics won’t come into play — even if only in some subtle, subconscious way — when the government helps to renegotiate David Suzuki’s contract? Or when the producers of The National, their salaries subject to cabinet’s approval, decide what to investigate? There’s a good reason why the CBC — and other Crown agencies — have been kept at arm’s length from the government of the day.

Moreover, the legislation opens the door to further infringements on the CBC’s independence. In an attempt to crush the unions, Harper has — whether unwittingly or uncaringly — created a tool with which governments wishing to tamper with the CBC’s editorial approach can do so with greater precision than ever before. Whether or not this government intends to use that tool, defenders of public broadcasting would surely sleep easier if it didn’t exist.

Keeping costs down is a fine goal, but in that pursuit the government has accepted unacceptable collateral damage. That’s precisely why Crown corporations have until now been spared these far-reaching government controls.

Read more about: