Well, it's my first time in Ottawa...no, actually, it's my fourth time here in Ottawa, just about this bill. I had to put on my Sunday-best suit to come and see how you guys are spending our Canadian tax dollars. I'll tell all of them in British Columbia that you're doing fine, because I'm going to give you the truth.
Mr. Chairman and committee members, my company, Classic Impressions, is a small, independent, Canadian-owned and -operated printing and packing company operating in British Columbia. A significant part of our business is the printing of envelopes and letters for letter shops that then prepare these materials for delivery outside Canada.
Before problems began with Canada Post approximately five years ago, my company employed 31 people. We're not a huge corporation; we're an average business in the printing industry. Now, because of this situation, we're down to 17 employees.
Many of our customers have left us, and they have not gone to Canada Post for their foreign mail delivery needs; they have taken their business to another country. They have forced our industry to lay off long-time employees, and that's not a pleasant thing to do.
Along with the lost revenue has come lost economic activity for Canada. The international mail industry in Canada consists of hundreds of small to medium-sized letter shops, mail houses, printers, direct marketers, graphic designers, envelope manufacturers, transport companies, and international mailers that employ thousands of hard-working Canadians and contribute significantly to the Canadian economy.
Contrary to what you heard yesterday from CUPW, this is not just about five or six companies or a few hundred employees. We've been competing openly with Canada Post for more than 25 years. Even Canada Post acknowledged and accepted this industry more than 20 years ago, by stating specifically in 1988: “Outbound mail is not protected by exclusive privilege, which leaves this lucrative business open to a new threat—aggressive competition from international remail companies.” I believe the committee members have been provided with copies of the Canada Post publication. This simply cannot be ignored.
Mr. Chairman, the legitimacy of this industry was also confirmed by the independent CPC strategic review advisory panel's report, which was presented to the government and made public in April 2009. Following extensive public consultation and review, the advisory panel recommended neither a general deregulation of the postal market nor a reduction of the existing level of Canada Post's exclusive privilege.
Yet it still recommended the maintaining of the private international mail market in Canada as the lone exception. Outbound international mail was the only market specifically identified in this manner. Recommendation 10 of the panel's report stated: “The Advisory Panel recommends that outbound international mail be open to competition, as has been the practice (if not the law)...” in Canada.