The Honourable Rob Merrifield, P.C., M.P
Minister of State for Transport
Place de Ville, Tower C, 29th Floor
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5
Dear Minister:
I have received a copy of a letter to you from the Town of Oliver (copy attached) requesting that “the federal government consult with local government stakeholders prior to taking any action which would impact rural community postal delivery services”.
As Member of Parliament in a riding where very few of the municipalities have populations of over 10,000, I am very concerned about the introduction of Bill C-44, which, if passed, would remove international letters from Canada Post’s exclusive privilege. As noted in the attached, there is every reason to believe that Canada Post’s lettermail volumes and revenues would be severely impacted, decreasing the post office’s ability to provide service to the people of this riding and in other rural or remote areas of the country.
Also, the recommendation in the Report of the Advisory Panel on the Strategic Review of the Canada Post Corporation to permit privately owned dealer outlets as a service delivery option is one with which many Canadians strongly disagree. As I have seen happen recently in the community of Bridesville in this riding, small communities are not served well when Canada Post contracts out the vital support of postal services. Instead, I support the view of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers – we need a postal service that is publicly-owned and operated, fully responsible to Parliament and one that provides its workers with safe, unionized, decently compensated jobs.
Given all of the above, I urge you to consult with local governments and the general public prior to making any changes to the direction of Canada Post service in rural communities.
Sincerely,
Alex Atamanenko, MP
Tags: canada post