Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for his insight into a topic that we certainly must understand better.
In 1981, Canada Post was set up as a crown corporation. In its documents, it was done so to ensure that postal services, financial security and independence continued. That is exactly what we are trying to do today by accepting Canada Post's five-point plan for moving into the future.
The reality is twofold. First, Canada Post has to actually deliver to more mailboxes or to more addresses than before. It is increased by 1.2 million. Second, Canada Post, as well, is delivering fewer letters. In fact, most Canadian families only buy two stamps a month. That is significant.
It is clear that the five-point plan is something Canada Post has researched, has consulted on, has studied and has indicated is its best path forward for achieving financial self-sustainability along with the continued service provision that it needs to do.
I appreciated the words of my hon. friend when he talked about the costs associated with community mailboxes. In terms of trying to ensure that we have a delivery system that is efficient and cost-effective, it is important to note that the door-to-door service to one-third of Canadian households is $298 on an average annual cost per address. However, delivering to a community mailbox is $113 on an annual cost per address basis.
That is a significant savings. It is one of those kinds of savings that Canada Post has looked at to ensure Canadians will continue to receive mail on a daily basis, which is what it said it wanted to do. At the same time, what it also said was it wanted to ensure it was not relying upon taxpayer dollars. That is what Canada Post is attempting to achieve.