Evidence of meeting #44 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was community.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Steven Rosendorff  Vice-President, Business Development, CapieKonsult
Anna Beale  Former President, Local 710, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
David Bennett  As an Individual
Michelle Brousseau  Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
Jacquie Strong  Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
George Opstad  As an Individual
Frank Goldie  As an Individual

2:40 p.m.

As an Individual

Frank Goldie

Mr. Whalen, if you ask me, in these times.... If you are starting at Canada Post today, at $19 an hour, and actually working really hard until dark, when you can get jobs that are much easier for $15, $17, or $19 an hour.... I believe they are underpaid. It's a tough go for young people starting off at $19 an hour to raise a family, buy diapers, and put food on the table.

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL

Thank you.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski

We're now going into our last two interventions. They will be for five minutes each.

Mr. McCauley, we'll start with you.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Thanks for joining us today.

Ladies, I've been to Coronation but I haven't been to Veteran. I didn't make it that far. I didn't get to the good part of it. Are you both from Veteran?

2:40 p.m.

Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association

Jacquie Strong

No, I'm from Carstairs.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Okay.

2:40 p.m.

Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association

Michelle Brousseau

I'm from Veteran.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Do you have banks in Veteran?

2:40 p.m.

Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association

Michelle Brousseau

Next door to us is a business that does banking. They'll bring you your plates, and give you your sticker, but they won't do the picture.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

So they're like a registry?

2:40 p.m.

Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

It's a bit like an ATB branch.

2:40 p.m.

Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association

Jacquie Strong

Yes, it's an ATB, and he does bookkeeping for people, to do their taxes and stuff.

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

And you have banks in Carstairs. Carstairs is larger, right?

On your Staples issue, I've dealt with Staples. A lot of companies..... They have their own contract with the courier so everything goes through that.

Mr. Goldie, l loved your comment about your five-point plan. I thought it was fabulous.

Mr. Opstad, you're still delivering mail. We talked with other posties about parcel delivery, and you mentioned the three-days-a-week delivery. We've heard that there's Admail that needs to go every day as well, but the three-days-a-week or two-days-a-week thing keeps being suggested.

I want to get feedback on whether you believe that's possible. One of the things we've heard is that we can't go to delivery three days a week because there's the daily Admail, which it's important to get daily. But there's also parcel delivery. I've heard from two different people. One says he does his route, and then he goes back and gets his truck and delivers parcels in the afternoon. Another one said he does his route and someone else does his parcels. How is it with you?

The other issue I wanted to bring up about the three-days-a-week service is that it was my understanding it's not viable. A lot of people said there is a need for daily parcel delivery. I'd like to get your feedback, please.

2:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Frank Goldie

Sure. As I mentioned before, we're still delivering parcels, which is a huge business. We're still delivering parcels seven days a week. But taking away that five-days-a-week service is weakening the brand. People actually still—

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

To me it's more the practicality as opposed to weakening the brand, so is it practical to go to three days a week? My understanding is that the same postie who is delivering the parcel is also the letter carrier.

2:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Frank Goldie

That's right. They're delivering parcels; they're delivering the Admail; and they're delivering the letter mail. It's amazing how much Admail these workers get. They're getting five or seven sets a day.

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

They call it junk mail, but it works.

2:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Frank Goldie

If in the wintertime they're going through with this, this, and this,.... Let me tell you about Admail. It works.

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I know it works.

2:45 p.m.

As an Individual

Frank Goldie

It really works, because these businesses wouldn't be sending these Admails out, whether it's for McDonald's or it's an IKEA catalogue—

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I'm sorry to cut you off, but I want to hear from Mr. Opstad and—

2:45 p.m.

As an Individual

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Do you share the same thoughts as Mr. Goldie?

October 18th, 2016 / 2:45 p.m.

As an Individual