Thank you, Mr. Chair.
A lot of the post offices in Canada are operated under Canada Post's “postmaster-provided” facility model, whereby the postmaster hired by Canada Post has to secure a facility themselves and provide it for Canada Post's use, and Canada Post pays a small stipend in lieu of rent, usually less than $500 per month. The postmaster is required to insure the space, shovel the snow and deliver postal services.
I'm wondering about the compatibility of that model with postal banking, because right now what we're seeing is that the postmasters in these circumstances are very poorly compensated. When one of them passes away or for some reason leaves the position, Canada Post has a very difficult time recruiting new rural postmasters to fill those spots.
Thinking about postal banking, is that also not a rationale to return to the retail outlet model whereby Canada Post operates a post office that's owned by Canada Post, with Canada Post unionized staff, which provides services other than postal services, including postal banking and electric vehicle charging, that kind of thing? Do we need to look more at that model for small communities?