Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper - Re: Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review

BY MAIL AND EMAIL

 

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

 

Dear Mr. Harper:

Re: Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review

I am writing to ask for your help in obtaining a response to questions and concerns that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers raised in a letter to Minister Lawrence Cannon on the Canada Post Strategic Review (see attached letter dated May 1, 2008) and for your assistance in getting a meeting with the Minister.

As you know, Minister Cannon announced in late April that the government is conducting an examination of our public post office called the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review. The review will look at basic questions such as what is universal postal service, how much does the universal service obligation cost, and should our public post office continue to have an exclusive privilege to handle letters so that it can provide universal service?

Even though the government’s strategic review could change the very nature of our postal system, there are no plans for public hearings. The review’s advisory panel is consulting with “major stakeholders” and asking the public and groups to make submissions by September 2, 2008. The fact that the government is not holding public hearings and is proceeding at a breakneck pace with its review suggests that it is not really interested in hearing from the real owners and stakeholders of Canada Post – the public.

We raised this concern and others in our letter to Minister Cannon. We also asked a number of questions. While we received a response to our letter (see attached letter dated June 6, 2008), which provides basic information on the strategic review, we did not receive a response to most of our questions and concerns. Your help in obtaining a serious response to our letter and a meeting would be appreciated.

We hope, given the importance of this matter, that you will give our letter your immediate attention. We also hope that you understand that a speedy review without public hearings is hardly a democratic way to decide the fate of our universal, public postal system.

Yours truly,

Denis Lemelin
National President

 

Encl.

 

cc: All CUPW locals, NEC, REC, National URs, Regional URs, Specialists, Robert Campbell, Nicole Beaudoin, Daniel H. Bader, David Christopherson MP, Mario Laframboise MP, Mark Holland MP, Minister Lawrence Cannon