Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to address the motion put forward by the member from the Bloc regarding Canada Post.
Motion 403 proposes the government ask Canada Post Corporation to integrate into its development plan a strategy promoting the local development of regions and municipalities in Quebec and in Canada. I have several concerns regarding this motion.
The first issue that needs to be addressed is the wording of the motion, as I find it quite confusing. This motion addresses Quebec and Canada separately, which does not make sense when Quebec is a province within Canada. I fully recognize that we are facing a referendum in Quebec regarding separation. However, the last time I checked Quebec was still a part of Canada. Perhaps legislative counsel could iron out this obvious oversight and clarify the wording so that it simply refers to Canada. Then all provinces will be included using that definition.
Besides the wording of the motion, it is somewhat confusing as to why this motion is being proposed by a separatist in the first place. Canada Post is a Canadian corporation set up to serve Canadians. If the member is so keen on pushing the separatist agenda, why the interest in a Canadian crown corporation? The member simply cannot have it both ways. Surely he does not expect to separate from Canada and then take the crown corporation with him. A separate Quebec will obviously run its own postal system, not one subsidized by the rest of Canada. Canada Post serves Canada, and that includes all the provinces within its borders, nothing more and nothing less.
I also have problems with the fundamental intent of this motion, which suggests that Canada Post be used to prop up declining regions and municipalities. Given that Canada Post is a money losing venture, how does the member propose that it be used to build municipalities and regions? It does not make any sense.
Canada Post's mandate is to best serve the postal needs of Canadians. Getting a letter quickly and as inexpensively as possible from one area of the country to the other should be the primary concern.
Canada Post is a basic service and must fulfil its role as independently as possible, without reliance on government subsidies or unwanted interference.
In 1981 Canada Post Corporation was created and given a mandate that included achieving self-sufficiency while acting at arm's length from the government. At that time Canada Post faced economic uncertainty and was losing $600 million a year. Canada Post has turned its business around in the last 12 years, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
This past year Canada Post lost $70 million, the third loss in five years. Canada Post was forced to increase its stamp price by two cents this year because it claimed to be in such financial trouble. Given that Canada Post is running a deficit, the corporation needs to focus its energy as much as possible on its basic mandate: delivering mail quickly and at the lowest cost.
If Canada Post cannot run its own business, how can we expect it to promote regional development? This smacks of old style, pork barrel politics: full speed ahead and to heck with the costs.
It is fundamental that post offices must be established on a basis of need for service. Location should be selected on the basis of where they will best meet the needs of the local residents, not for buying votes from a town or rewarding political supporters.
Regional development ideas went down with the Titanic , so why are we trying to refloat them here? With any crown corporation, taxpayers need to know that they are getting their money's worth. They want good service and fair prices, not another bloated bureaucracy with a fuzzy mandate incorporating regional development.
We know we have problems with our crown corporations. Canadians need to be assured that their tax dollars are being spent wisely. They want an open, efficient postal system, because Canadians are frustrated with poorly run corporations that ignore their primary role.
A point that particularly frustrates me with current legislation is that I cannot go back to my constituents with any assurances because crown corporations like Canada Post are exempt from access to information inquiries. Why is it that when crown corporations are supported by taxpayers they are at the same time protected by a cloak of secrecy that cannot be accessed under freedom of information? Canada Post has a monopoly on mail delivery, but it refuses to open its books to the public for fear of competition.
Questions have been raised again and again regarding Canada Post competition against other courier services. The Canadian Courier Association has accused Canada Post of using its exclusive mail revenues to subsidize its courier services, yet we cannot find out the answer because the corporation is protected from access to information. Business is complaining that Canada Post has an unfair advantage with its courier services and that they are forcing private enterprise out of business. However, the real story never sees the light of day because the answers are hidden behind this shield of secrecy.
Canada Post claims to have had an independent study done by KPMG to review the matter. Where is the study? We have not seen it. Canada Post refuses to release it. Canada Post protection from public scrutiny only raises more questions.
Questions have been raised about Canada Post's granting of contracts. Bidding for advertising mail services, for example, is obscured and potential bid players are raising questions about the procedures for bidding for services. For example, if a bidder has tendered the lowest bid he or she may not get the contract. The reasons for choosing one bidder over another are completely obscured and there is no way for an individual to find out where their bid sat compared to the others. Exemption from access to information prevents individuals from reviewing the results of any particular contract.
Given that the post office monopoly is under the umbrella of the patronage king himself, the public works minister, it is high time that Canadians were allowed to look into the books and practices of Canada Post. Already we have caught the minister responsible for this crown corporation with his hands in the cookie jar, handing out post office leases to his political supporters in Nova Scotia.
How many other instances of political patronage are there wrapped up in this corporation? Canadians want to know. It is high time the government came clean and put an end to the old style practices within our crown corporations.
Canada Post, like all crown corporations and government agencies, must be accountable. That is first and foremost. Services need to protected and functions run as cost effectively as possible with the least likelihood of incurring public debt.
The government should move Canada Post out of the subsidized role of courier service and ad mail delivery and limit it to what it was designed to do in the first place, pick up and deliver mail.
I cannot support the motion to allow Canada Post to become involved in regional development because it would be a poor business decision and is simply contrary to the primary role of Canada Post.