Thank you, gentlemen, for being here with us.
Mayor Wilson, I know you've just arrived. Mr. Middleton, I'm not sure if you have been in the room listening to the first session we had, but on the assumption you both are here as newcomers, I'll go over a brief couple of procedural notes for you.
This is a part of an exhaustive and ongoing consultation process initiated by the Honourable Judy Foote , the minister responsible for Canada Post. Phase one of the consultation process was the establishment of the task force, whose mandate was to examine the financial viability of Canada Post.
That examination has been done. They have produced a report. We have examined the report and questioned the task force members on it, but phase two is why we're here today. It is a cross-Canada consultation with organizations, individuals, municipalities, and others about the future of Canada Post, more specifically the views that people like you may have on what you would like to see in the future for Canada Post.
We're going to ask both of you, when it's your time, to make a brief opening statement, hopefully no more than five minutes. Following that, there will be a series of questions from our committee members, and answers. I always assure people that even if you don't have enough time in five minutes to get all of the information to us, I know that the question-and-answer process will elicit a lot of the information you may have and may want to transfer to our committee.
That said, Mayor Wilson, I have you first on the speakers list if you would care to give an opening statement. Please take five minutes or less.