Thursday September 15, 2016
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 15, 2016
Canada Post needs ‘transformational changes’ to be viable, task force finds
A task force studying the national mail carrier says Canada Post isn’t financially self-sustainable under its current structure.
And it says transformational changes are needed to prevent taxpayers from having to prop it up.
The four-member panel issued a discussion paper Monday that suggests a number of ways the letter carrier can turn its business model around, including distributing legalized marijuana and cutting back on door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes — an initiative launched by the Conservative government in 2013 but scrapped by the current Liberal government.
The report also suggested charging fees to those who opt to have mail delivered directly to their door.
A House of Commons committee has scheduled cross-country hearings this month to hear Canadians’ views of what they want from the postal service. The ideas contained in the discussion paper are meant as a launching pad for those public consultations.
The task force says a significant decline in letter mail deliveries is sapping revenues at Canada Post, a loss that has yet to be made up from its growing parcel and ad mail businesses.
Canada Post applauded the task force findings, saying it reaffirms the challenges faced by the Crown corporation. (Source: CBC News)