Thank you very much.
I have some very active members of CUPW here in the Fredericton region. I know all about this incredible program, and I very much support it. Thank you so much.
In front of me, I have the “Third Quarter Financial Report”. It mentions that:
Demand for ecommerce parcels [is continuing] to grow; rate shopping is putting pressure on price;... [expenditures] for service performance, delivery speeds and flexible delivery options—including weekend, same-day and next-day delivery—are on the rise. Merchants face pressure to compete on overall experience.
Competitors are [also] using low-cost gig-economy and contracted labour to offer cost-effective delivery solutions, while increasing their delivery speeds.
CUPW has previously stated that Canada Post's “sales software encourages offering [customers] the premium services (like Xpresspost) first, then the regular services”.
Ms. Simpson, could you explain the different levels of service for parcel deliveries and how the cost discrepancies can disproportionately affect rural and remote Canadians?