Letter to Lawrence Cannon - Subject: Party policies and government positions needed for upcoming election

Lawrence Cannon
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Place de Ville, Tower C, 29^th Floor
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N5

 

Dear Mr. Cannon:

Subject: Party policies and government positions needed for upcoming election

I am writing further to my letter dated October 31, 2006 and your response dated January 12, 2007 (letters attached) to find out if the government has decided to review the financial and policy framework for Canada Post, and if so, what this review entails. Regardless of whether there is any review, I am hoping you will be able to answer the following questions about the framework:

Do you think the financial and policy framework could be improved?

Do you think that it makes sense to have a framework that calls on the post office to act like a business that generates commercial profits and dividends, even though Canada Post has a legal mandate to provide and improve public postal service, not maximize profits.

Is the government willing to instruct Canada Post to act like a public service by investing more of its profits in public postal service?

Do you think it would be helpful for the framework to include directions or objectives regarding accountability?

Would the government be willing to instruct Canada Post to consult with the public and other major stakeholders to develop a process that makes our public post office more accountable to the public?

As you know, the government's financial and policy framework for Canada Post does not provide directions or objectives regarding public accountability. This situation allows Canada Post - a public corporation - to close post offices and plants without consulting with the public and other major stakeholders. We believe that Canada Post needs a clear, uniform and democratic process for making fundamental changes to its postal network and delivery system.

I look forward to your response.

 

Yours truly,

Deborah Bourque
National President

 

Encl.

 

c.c.

National Executive Committee
Regional Executive Committees
National Union Representatives
Regional Union Representatives
Specialists
All CUPW locals
Moya Greene, President of Canada Post
All members of Parliament
Gilles Duceppe, Leader, Bloc Quebecois
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Jack Layton, Leader, New Democratic Party
Stéphane Dion, Leader, Liberal Party
Leslie Schous, President, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
Richard Des Lauriers, President, Union of Postal Communications Employees,
Public Service Alliance of Canada