Canada Post: A Public Institution

WHEREAS Canada Post is a Crown corporation that is mandated by law to provide basic customary postal service while operating on a financially self-sustaining basis.

WHEREAS Crown corporations like Canada Post have both public and commercial activities, but are distinct from commercial enterprises in that they are designed to serve the public interest, not maximize profit.

WHEREAS the federal government has asked Canada Post to act like a commercial enterprise that generates commercial profits and dividends.

WHEREAS Canada Post has responded by stating that it is a commercial enterprise with a business mandate and that it must focus on its major customers.

WHEREAS millions of dollars that people pay in postage are now directed towards providing Canada Post with commercial profits ($119 million in 2006) and the federal government with lucrative dividends ($80 million in 2006) instead of being used to improve public postal service.  

WHEREAS the goal of commercial profits and dividends is at odds with the corporation's legislative mandate to provide public postal service and its public policy objective, as a Crown corporation, to serve the public interest.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT (NAME OF ORGANIZATION OR MUNICIPALITY) write to Lawrence Cannon, the Minister Responsible for Canada Post and request that the federal government:

 

1. Change the financial and policy framework it uses to set targets for Canada Post so that the corporation does not have to provide commercial profits and dividends.
2. Instruct Canada Post to act like a public service, not a commercial enterprise, by using more of its profits on public postal services, including maintaining and expanding home mail delivery in rural and urban areas.

 

MAILING INFORMATION

 Please send your letter and resolution to: The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister Responsible for Canada Post, Place de Ville, Tower C, 29th Floor, 330 Sparks Street, K1A 0N5.

Please send copies of your letter and resolution to:

1. Deborah Bourque, President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, 377 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1Y3
2. Your member of Parliament. You can get your MP’s name, phone number and address by calling 1-800 463-6868 (at no charge).
3. Moya Greene, President of Canada Post, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0B1

 

For further information

 Contact George Floresco, 3^rd National Vice President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, 377 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1Y3, (613) 236-7230 (extension 7900)