Transport Committee on June 1st, 2006

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for coming today. I've had the opportunity before to have you answer my questions and I've really appreciated it. Quite frankly, I admire your business acumen very much. I've had the opportunity, as I said, to speak to you somewhat and I'm very impressed.

One thing I liked best about you is you're very blunt, and so am I. You've asked for comments in relation to the execution of what happened in Fredericton, and I can assure you that I believe as well that the implementation and execution of that plan was not very good. Anyway, there's my bluntness.

As you know, being the parliamentary secretary for this particular transport and infrastructure--17 crown corporations, every road and bridge and water system in Canada--the number one issue that I deal with on a daily basis is Canada Post, actually. I get approached by my Conservative colleagues who are very active, including Mr. Blaney, who I think has some additional questions for you on the Quebec sorting plant. I'll give you a reprieve from that for now.

I have some other questions, but I just want you to know that daily I get approached in relation to the Quebec sorting plant by my Conservative colleagues. This is the number one issue that they're driving right now in Quebec and it's very, very important.

I also want to say, since I am blunt, that I hear you use the word “inconvenience”, but from my perspective, from western Canada, Canada Post's postal system and getting letters is to some people the most important thing that happens in their day. It's much more than an inconvenience; it affects their entire life.

[Moya Greene]

I know that.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

It's very, very important.

My question really deals with the legal perspective here. My background is law--11 years as a litigator, an ambulance chaser, if you like. I did a lot of litigation, a lot of personal injury, and I just don't get it. We have Australia, where I lived for three years, the U.K., the United States, all with very similar postal systems. Australia has much smaller streets than we do, especially rural. The United States and the U.K. have much smaller streets as well, and yet all of them seem to be doing an effective job in delivering mail to rural post boxes. They do.

What makes our country any different, first of all, and why do we have this issue when the United States, quite frankly--I have litigated some files from there as well--is a much more litigious society than we are? They litigate much more over many more things and they don't seem to have these problems. Yet we do have them.

[Moya Greene]

That's a good point. My discussions, though, with the U.S. post office indicate that they do have these problems in the rural United States. They have similar.... It's not so much litigation, I think, Mr. Jean, as it is a question of people exercising employment rights that have been given to them by statute.

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I understand that some similar rights exist in the United States and they do have these issues. I don't know at all about whether the employment rights are the same in Australia as they are here, but the truth is that in Canada under the Canada Labour Code occupational health and safety, employees have the right to assess their working conditions and refuse work if they feel they are unsafe. When that happens, the employer has to respond immediately.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

To be fair, Australia's labour code is much more stringent. The United States has the same issues with the labour code and it is a legal issue. The labour code issue is a legal issue. It's about keeping the employees safe, which is very important.

Would you be able to table to the committee your reference in relation to the U.S.? You referred to them having the same problems.

[Moya Greene]

We have had discussions with the U.S., so we'd be happy to do that. As we have discussed with you, they do have some of the same situations we have had. So I'd be very happy to table with the committee the results of those discussions.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

And any information you have pertaining to how many issues they do have, because it would be very interesting to do a comparison.

[Moya Greene]

We know the number of their road safety accidents in rural United States, so we're quite happy to give you that information.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

You have 20 seconds, Mr. Blaney.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Ms. Greene, thank you for being here today.

Canada Post serves the citizens who elect us. In a way, we are the representatives of Canada Post shareholders. Today, you have been unable to demonstrate that a number of decisions, such as the closure of the Quebec City postal sorting station, met the needs of residents in the region, particularly where service is concerned. That is what I understand. Some other committee members remain unconvinced as well.

My concerns are on transportation security. I am told that a letter will leave Chicoutimi, go through Quebec City, through Montreal, then come back to Quebec City and to Chicoutimi. I have difficulty understanding how you will maintain the same quality of service. If there is a single postal sorting station in Quebec, and there is a problem in Montreal, how will you ensure service in eastern Quebec? I also see a great deal of transportation occurring between Quebec City and Montreal, while we are trying to achieve sustainable development and reduce the number of points of transportation.

I know that you do not have much time to answer, but these are issues that concern me and my colleagues.

[Moya Greene]

I understand and respect your concerns, Mr. Blaney. It is also very important to me to ensure that our services and our transportation system provide the best possible service for clients. When we decided to close the Quebec City station, we increased transportation service capacity and changed the mail handling process in Montreal, so that mail which comes from furthest away is handled first. We are now certain that there will be no reduction in service quality.

I arrived at Canada Post only recently, and the logistics in that corporation are extremely complex. Canada Post is perhaps the crown corporation with the most know-how about logistics and transportation. So thanks to the complexity of our logistics and the way mail is handled, we are certain that there will be no reduction in service quality.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Because of time restraints, what I might suggest--

[Moya Greene]

Mr. Blaney, I would be quite prepared to resume this discussion with you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I will thank you, Ms. Greene and Ms. Traversy, for being here. I would think that the committee would be more than interested in welcoming you back for another chance to speak.

[Moya Greene]

We are very happy to be available one on one with your committee members, Mr. Chairman, or in front of this committee again, anytime. It would be my pleasure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you very much.

Just for the information of the committee, on Tuesday we will be doing clause-by-clause on Bill C-3. If you have any amendments, they should be filed with the clerk ASAP. There have been some amendments filed, and they will be circulated to the members very quickly.

With that, we are adjourned.