Colleagues, I'll call this meeting to order.
This is the 26th meeting of the government operations and estimates committee, and we're dealing with the Canada Post study.
Colleagues, if I could have your attention before we get into the meeting proper, there's a bit of committee business. I've spoken with some of you individually. This is concerning the upcoming cross-Canada tour to study Canadians' opinions and expectations of Canada Post.
We have a meeting tomorrow afternoon at 3:30. If you are available, I have asked the logistician who has been putting all of the details of this tour together to meet with us at 3 p.m. in this meeting room just prior to the start of our 3:30 meeting.
The itinerary for the tour, which starts on Sunday—at least the flights are starting on Sunday—will be sent to all of you electronically, probably tomorrow morning. You'll have an opportunity to take a look at it.
The purpose of the 3 p.m. meeting is to answer any specific questions you may have. On ground transportation, if you arrive at an airport at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, will someone be there to meet you, or do you take your own transportation to the hotel? Where are the hotels, etc.? How will the meetings be conducted? You will have an opportunity to pose all of these questions tomorrow at 3 p.m. We'll send out a notice of that as well. If you are available, it's 3 p.m., in this room, to talk about the logistics behind the cross-Canada tour.
With that, we'll commence the meeting.
As you know, colleagues, we are engaged in a study on the future of Canada Post. The minister responsible, the Honourable Judy Foote, wanted to have extensive consultations. As part of those consultations, she established a task force. Those members are with us today to discuss the findings of their report. Their report has some specificity to it about the financial viability of Canada Post as a corporation moving forward. Of course, we will be going out and talking to Canadians about their expectations for the future of Canada Post.
Following that, this committee will then engage in writing a report based on both the findings of the task force and on what we have heard from talking to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That report will be tabled in the House of Commons prior to the end of this year. From there, the government will make its decision in due course.
We are here to listen to the task force.
Madame Bertrand, I understand you have a 10-minute or so opening statement. Before that, perhaps you could introduce your task force colleagues, and then commence with your statement. Following that, we'll get into questions and answers from committee members.
Madame Bertrand, you have the floor.