Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting us here today.
My name is Bob Elliott. I'm the president of the Canadian Printing Industries Association. I'm here today with Mr. Barry Sikora, general manager of Classic Impressions Inc., a small businessman and member of our British Columbia association who has been involved in the international mail industry for over 30 years.
We've heard the testimony here yesterday and today and wish to respond in part here with our comments.
Mr. Chairman and members of the finance committee, our comments are specific to part 15 of Bill C-9 as well and deal with the one-sentence amendment to the Canada Post Corporation Act that will enable a competitive and long-standing industry made up predominantly of small and medium-sized Canadian businesses, to continue doing what they have been doing for more than 25 years.
This is not about some new industry attempting to just enter the Canadian market. This is not about diminishing Canada Post's domestic exclusive privilege, or its ability to provide universal postal service. This small one-sentence amendment does absolutely nothing more than maintain the status quo of the past 20-plus years.
The Canadian Printing Industries Association represents over 7,200 printing establishments that employ some 65,500 Canadians. Not all printing establishments in Canada participate within the international mail industry in Canada, but a significant number of printing companies are involved in this industry.
The need for this amendment has significant implications for Canadian printers and allied industries that produce a wide variety of products such as advertising material and envelopes and more for Canadian and international customers, and then bulk-ship this material, predominantly to the U.S., or to some other foreign destination.
Canadian printers and remail companies have already seen a significant decrease in business given this industry's uncertainty over the past few years. Without this amendment, these companies stand to lose even more business as their customers will simply take their business to another country. The economic contribution to Canada will be lost. Canada Post will not reap the benefit of that. No one is going to win: not Canada Post, not our small businesses, and not the Canadian economy.
In short, Mr. Chairman, the Canadian printing industry is in full support of part 15 of Bill C-9.
I thank you. I'd like to turn it over to Mr. Sikora.