I entirely agree with you.
A moratorium has been issued to keep post offices open in the rural regions, which is a good idea. The services and business hours of those offices have been gradually reduced because they were not cost-effective. They are now staffed by a single person from 9:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m., which are normal business hours, so they will cost less. This is the logic of declining services.
If services are cut, people will think that, since they are not getting services at that location, they will not go there any more. What will that lead to? Further service cuts. This is a vicious circle that leads to the end of Canada Post.
I am going to make a proposal that will have the opposite effect.
People in the rural regions complain all the time that the caisse populaire is going to close; that is what you constantly read in the newspapers. If the post offices provided new services, and if business hours were extended, people would get into the habit of going there. You could make the connection with the caisse populaire for many seniors who want personal service. Could a post office be turned into a rallying point? There could still be a single employee, but that employee would be given better hours, as you suggested. Post offices would be open longer, and people would have access to more services and would be more inclined to go there.
The report refers to major infrastructure costs. There are offices at many locations in Canada. Perhaps it would be a good idea to maximize those costs by providing more services at those offices. We must not abandon those offices or let in the competition.
I come from Causapscal. What will the competition offer in the way of a post office in Causapscal? It will offer nothing; it will simply shut it down.