Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the intervention by my colleague, who, as chair of the transport committee, will remember that we had an important hearing on this matter. Not only did Canada Post appear there in order to defend its five-point plan, but we also heard from witnesses, including the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which the opposition says commissioned a study on postal banking. Perhaps the member will remember that I asked if that study had been submitted to Canada Post for its consideration during the public comment period, but that CCPA said no, that in fact it had not even submitted it for consideration at all.
Second, in response to a simple question like, “Have you looked at the costs of postal banking?”, all their report contained was a suggestion that maybe we should get some kind of a committee together to look at this in some ongoing fashion. In other words, it was a recommendation for further delay. They had not really done their own due diligence.
Perhaps the member would like to remind the House that in fact the other side has not even fully explored that particular issue. It could not provide an idea of what it would cost to capitalize a bank much less to run it, and how that would not be a solution for Canada Post to pursue.