Government Operations committee  You're losing me. I can't follow.

Government Operations committee  You're talking to a mayor who inherited a $21 million debt and—

Government Operations committee  We were on the brink, and we had to change the way we did things.

Government Operations committee  I think it would happen if there were no change and everything continued on the road it's on, or if there were radical change, such as privatization in some butchering type of way, so that service seriously dropped.

Government Operations committee  Yes, sir.

Government Operations committee  My observation over the decade that I've lived here is they seem to walk.

Government Operations committee  I think the service from Canada Post has been excellent, generally excellent. My only concern is the cost of delivering that service. I would be hard-pressed to find where they could improve, really. I think they do a good job. I've heard comments that Canada Post is very competitive with international shipping, from Canada, that there's maybe a niche there to be exploited more aggressively.

Government Operations committee  We're giving premium service to everybody, door to door, when a lot of people don't necessarily need door to door. The majority don't.

Government Operations committee  What's in a name? Not to be flippant, but it's so tough these days to know, since so many lines have been blurred. What you're looking for is efficiency, and efficiency means you look under every rock. I think “privatizing” has so many connotations for so many different people that it's almost like a political hot potato that you don't want to talk about.

Government Operations committee  There are a couple of things I have highlighted on that. Certain countries have embraced it, including Japan, South Korea, China, France, Italy, U.K., and India. I thought this was an interesting perspective on it: ...in November 2015, Japan sold an 11 percent stake in its postal service, which houses the country’s biggest bank by deposits and its largest insurer.

Government Operations committee  The only caveat would be that you have high costs to deliver that service compared with even the current banking costs.

Government Operations committee  Sure. I'll just say that if it would deliver it efficiently and effectively, in a cost-effective manner, and give great-quality service, I'd go for it.

Government Operations committee  When the report talked about, say, postal banking, for example, is that what you're...?

Government Operations committee  I think if it can stick to its core competencies of delivering the mail and focus on that rather than trying to expand, that would probably be the most prudent course. Labour costs are so high, compared to many other.... I did not realize the kinds of pension costs and wage costs in government.

Government Operations committee  I don't have any particular comment.