CUPW - 2008-10-23 - Cannon says he’s not privatizing or deregulating Canada Post

But can we trust him after Bill C-14 and the Quebec City Plant Closure?

Minister Lawrence Cannon answering CUPW's questions
at an all-candidates meeting in Campbell's Bay, Quebec.

During the election, CUPW went to all-candidates meetings in Pontiac, Quebec to ask Lawrence Cannon, Minister Responsible for Canada Post, about his plans for our public post office. In response to our questions, Minister Cannon said: “you can read my lips, I’m not deregulating, I’m not privatizing.”

However, Cannon did not say whether he had given new instructions to the advisory panel of the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review (CPCSR), even though the union asked at an all-candidates meeting. Earlier this year, Cannon asked the panel to look at postal deregulation. (See CUPW’s questions and Cannon’s answers on the back).

While CUPW is pleased that Cannon says he is not going to privatize or deregulate our public post office, the union is not declaring victory just yet.

CUPW President Denis Lemelin quite rightly pointed out, at one all-candidates meeting, that the Conservatives had promised to review and oppose Canada Post’s plans to close the Quebec City plant if elected in 2006, but had done nothing to stop the plant closure once in power.

Moreover, the Conservatives have already tried to deregulate Canada Post through Bill C-14. Fortunately, this bill died when the 2008 election was called.

Where to from here?

CUPW has sent a letter to Cannon which asks the Minister to put his comments relating to privatization and deregulation in writing.

Of course, we won’t really know what the federal government has planned for the post office until we see their response to the CPCSR.

Submissions to the CPCSR were due by September 2, 2008. The advisory panel of the CPCSR will make a final report with recommendations in December 2008. The government is expected to respond to the panel’s report and recommendations by budget time in the spring.

Watch for updates on the strategic review and what the union is doing to ensure that your rights and the public’s right to universal public, postal service are protected.

CUPW’s questions and Cannon’s answers

Gayle Bossenberry, 1^st National Vice-President, CUPW: “Hello my name is Gayle Bossenberry. I’m the first National Vice-President for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and I also live in the Pontiac riding. I’d like to address this to Mr. Cannon but I’d also like to have comments from the other candidates.

As minister responsible for Canada Post you launched a strategic review of our post office earlier this year. I heard at the Campbell’s Bay all-candidates meeting you said “read my lips we’re not going to deregulate the post office”. First, and I’d also like to say that I think it’s unfortunate that we have to address our questions to you in this forum when we’ve asked to meet with you over 10 times.

Would it be possible to read this promise in a letter and to hear you repeat this promise? Also I would like to know if you’ve asked the advisory panel of Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review to stop considering postal deregulation? This review is ongoing. Have you given the panel new instructions or is the panel still looking at deregulation?”

Lawrence Cannon, MP for Pontiac and Minister Responsible for Canada Post: “I thank you for your question. Actually the post office hasn’t been looked at in terms of review, I think it goes back probably 10 or 12 years ago, so it was important for us to be able to take a look at the evolution in terms of marketing techniques, in terms of communications. We hired on three people who have the mandate to go and do the review.

The review is not a full-fledged review. It is, as you can see on the website where you can look at the mandate, it’s a review that is basically framed so that we will be able to go and get some of the answers that we are looking for. But, yes, you can read my lips, I’m not deregulating, I’m not privatizing. We have asked these people to come forward with suggestions in terms of new techniques and ways of doing things that are new. So that is the objective and as for the consultation, the vast majority of Canadians can have and had the opportunity to be able to look at this process and use the internet as a matter of fact, to be able to do it.

The committee has a responsibility to go out and seek opinions and it’s not true that for the last 10 some odd, whatever, I haven’t been able to speak with you. I have met with your association. I have met with your organization at the very beginning of the mandate and we have exchanged correspondence on numerous occasions. There is no need to go out and ask the media in the Ottawa area to be able to find me. I’m always in my riding or at the office.”

Cannon says he’s not privatizing or deregulating Canada Post

But can we trust him after Bill C-14 and the Quebec City Plant Closure?

Where to from here?

CUPW’s questions and Cannon’s answers

Related Documents

Postal deregulation gets two thumbs down during Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review (September 2009)