Letter: Re Canada Post Review Task Force
Canada Post Review
CP 2200
Matane, QC, G4W 0K8
Email: TPSGC.ExamendeSPC-CPCReview.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Dear Task Force Members:
The National Farmers Union welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Canada Post Review Task Force.
We understand that the Task Force has been appointed to collect input and information, and identify options for the future of Canada Post in order to help the federal government attain its goal “ensuring that Canadians receive quality service from Canada Post at a reasonable price. “ We are writing because we are very interested in the future of our public postal service.
The National Farmers Union is a direct-membership organization made up of Canadian farm families who share common goals. It is the only voluntary national farm organization in Canada which, among many other things, is committed to building healthy, vibrant rural communities. The mandate of the National Farmers Union includes the promotion of a higher standard of community life in agriculture.
The NFU has several policies which support Canada Post and its provision of postal services which must be regarded as a right and not a privilege.
- We believe the provision of postal services to rural areas is absolutely vital to the viability of many rural communities and oppose the stated intention of Canada Post to vastly reduce postal services across Canada, and particularly to rural areas, in efforts to record a profit.
- The NFU demands that:
a) Canada Post and our elected representatives refrain from further discriminating against rural communities in the quality of postal services through the practice of franchising and/or contracting such services;
b) Communities already affected by reductions must have postal services restored and improved to previous levels in circumstances where they are dissatisfied with privatization. We urge no further privatization occur without the concurrence of communities affected.
- The NFU continues to support Canada Post and a public system that provides equitable service to all Canadians.
Furthermore, diminished mail volume can be easily compensated by Canada Post offering banking services as many countries already do.Many of our members live in rural communities, which have suffered from a general decline in population and associated services as a result – including banking services. As such, the National Farmers Union supports the Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ proposal to supply financial services to underserved populations such as northern, rural and Aboriginal communities. This proposal will assist our members in accessing financial services and encourage investments in the local community.
The economies of rural communities increasingly suffer from a decrease in services. This is a prime opportunity for the Government of Canada to do the right thing – de-centralize services, give rural and remote areas economic opportunities and give Canada Post a boost at the same time.
In closing, we urge the Task Force to give serious consideration to our issues and concerns.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Yours truly,
Jan Slomp, President
National Farmers Union
c.c. Hon. Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Karine Trucel, NDP Canada Post critic
Hon. Steven Blaney, Conservative Public Services and Procurement critic
