Merv Tweed

[Canada Post Corporation Act, December 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the libraries across Canada have supported this bill from the start.

What I am very pleased with is the overwhelming number of people who have signed petitions and sent letters of support. For me personally, it has been a wonderful experience meeting people across Canada who have the same interest and that is increasing their access to information.

[Canada Post Corporation Act, December 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it was difficult at the time of the presentation of my bill to get the exact numbers.

I referenced in my comments the fact that three years ago Canada Post, working with the library association, developed a tool that would measure it. I am told that the actual cost as of today, and it may vary, give or take, is around the $5 million mark.

[Canada Post Corporation Act, December 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as time moves forward, things change. We used to carry mountains of books in our book bags and they had a tremendous weight. People across Canada have told me that we need to move to new technology. I would suggest that one book would far outweigh 10 or 15 disks being shipped to a community library and shared. I hope over time this will actually reduce rates unless we have a huge uptake, and I hope for that as well.

I hope we move into the 21st century with new materials. Some of us still have VCRs, but many of us have moved now to disks, tapes and other technologies that help people learn.

[Canada Post Corporation Act, December 9th, 2010]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to sponsor this bill that seeks to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to include the library book rate.

The importance of the library book rate to Canadians can be clearly seen in the sheer volume of petitions that I have tabled before the House over the past few years.

These are petitions representing the support of hundreds, if not thousands, of Canadians for a reduced rate of postage for library materials. Bill C-509 is my third attempt to enshrine the library book rate into the legislation, and thanks to the support of my colleagues from all parties, I am confident that this bill will finally become law.

The library book rate is a highly discounted postal rate offered by Canada Post. This discounted rate has existed since 1939, and it is used by libraries to reduce the cost of offering inter-library loans and helps to provide equal access to printed library books for all Canadian readers regardless of their location, whether they live in rural or urban or remote Canada, everywhere.

The use of the library book rate has not changed significantly since its inception despite advances in access to electronic library materials. From 1996 to 2005, the library book rate was run in accordance with a memorandum of agreement between Canada Post Corporation and the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding both the library book rate and the publications assistance program.

As many of us are aware, the publications assistance program was replaced by the Canada periodical fund on April 1, 2009, and so no longer exists.

The memorandum of agreement between the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada Post for the library book rate was allowed to expire in 2006. Since that time, Canada Post has continued to offer the rate without a formal agreement with the government.

While the rate has been continuously offered since 1939, it is not referenced in either the Canada Post Corporation Act or its associated regulations. The rate is a traditional offer by our post office that Canada Post has continued to respect. In fact Canada Post has not raised the library book rate since 2005 and has recently announced that the rate will remain the same in 2011. As a result, next year will be the sixth year in a row that libraries and Canadian lenders have enjoyed stable rates, and Canada Post is to be commended for continuing to offer subsidized library book rates these many years.

The library book rate is an unregulated parcel rate, and Canada Post determines the library book rate on an annual basis as it does for all of its unregulated rates. The rate is far lower than normal parcel rates and can be used only by public, university and non-profit libraries to send books. Based on a per item cost by weight and destination, the library book rate covers shipping both to and from the borrowing library or individual library patron.

In 2006 to facilitate the processing of library book parcels, Canada Post developed the library book shipping tool in association with the Canadian Library Association and l'Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation. The tool is provided to libraries free of charge and has been used for the library book rate since 2007.

I think we all agree that Canadian library collections are a national asset, one that thanks in part to the library book rate is accessible to all Canadians through a resource-sharing network among Canadian libraries. Inter-library loans ensure equitable access to a composite Canadian library collection of some 465 million items to all Canadians through their local libraries.

Libraries are also a cornerstone for public information, literacy and early childhood activities across the country as well as offering services to new immigrants and supporting citizen engagement. The resource sharing enabled by the library book rate makes it possible for libraries to support a wide range of formal and informal education, research, literacy and lifelong learning pursuits of their patrons and communities.

More than 2,000 libraries actively use the library book rate, and an estimated one million Canadians benefit directly from it annually. Approximately 65% of volumes mailed under the library book rate are destined for libraries and library users in small towns, rural locations and remote communities, thereby allowing these users to access collections held in libraries across the country.

What is more, the library book rate is of capital importance to minority francophone communities. It allows francophones, regardless of where they live, to access books in French.

The library book rate also allows users to access local material found only in rural community libraries. It enables libraries to ship books to those users whose access to libraries is limited, such as remote residents and those living with disabilities or any impairment that prevents them from visiting their local library.

Library associations and users have long been encouraging the government to make more than just books eligible for this highly discounted postage rate. Library collections have changed significantly over the last several years. They have expanded to include new materials as technology changes. For example, CDs, DVDs and books on tape are now common components of library collections, facilitating access to those with a print disability and those who enjoy alternative formats.

This bill not only seeks to enshrine the library book rate in the Canada Post Corporation Act, but it also seeks to enshrine a wider definition of library materials, including new media materials.

It must be clearly understood that expanding the program to include other materials as well as books will increase the cost of offering this rate for Canada Post. I believe over time that rate will go down based on the weight and content of the products that will be shipped in the future.

The corporation already pays for the majority of the real costs for shipping books under the library book rate, and expanding the program will increase the corporation's costs in line with user uptake. But it is a matter of public policy rather than one of profit-making for the crown corporation.

The library book rate is an important and traditional offering by Canada Post. The library book rate is in keeping with the best Canadian traditions of ensuring universal access regardless of where Canadians live in our vast country. Nonetheless, it is clear that many Canadians would derive greater benefit from the library book rate were it expanded to include other library materials.

These are the reasons I have presented this bill. I thank our government and members of the opposition for offering their support for the same.

[Canada Post Corporation Act, December 9th, 2010]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.

[Committees of the House, December 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities regarding Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act.

The committee has studied the bill and decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

[Sustaining Canada's Economic Recovery Act, November 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my hon. friend talk a little bit about the budget and probably the centre of what we are focusing on today, but I have just a very simple question for him.

He talks about luxury items that the government has bought. He talks about what I would consider to be the essential equipment that our armed forces need, be it military, be it the soldiers, be it the pilots.

I had the opportunity and the pleasure to visit Cold Lake recently; I toured the facility and actually got to sit in an F-18. It was explained to me that if these planes are not replaced in the timely fashion that we are suggesting, basically they will be grounded in a couple of years and they will simply become a playground for international flyers to come in and do their routines.

Does the member believe that providing essential equipment to our armed forces is a luxury? Is it not absolutely the least we can do for our armed forces? The very least we can do is provide them with the equipment that they need to represent Canada, to represent our vision of the world, to bring peace to other countries? Does he not accept that as being an essential tool as opposed to a luxury?

[Sustaining Canada's Economic Recovery Act, November 30th, 2010]

Tell us.

[Petitions, November 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians, again, are showing that they love to read and they are sending petitions to me.

I am pleased to present seven petitions today from people in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and other areas in support of Bill C-509, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials), which would protect and support the library book rate and extend it to include audiovisual materials.

[Committees of the House, November 15th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

This report concerns Bill C-20, An Act to amend the National Capital Act and other Acts.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.