Letter to the editor: With the upcoming election getting closer, the riding of Nipissing-Temiskiming provides a clear picture of what will happen country-wide, if Conservatives are voted back into power. The current unnecessary cut backs at Canada Post are a perfect example of what this current Conservative government has tried to do to Canada as a whole.
Last Tuesday night, September 22, at an all-candidates meeting held at the Empire Living Centre in North Bay, MP Jay Aspin said of Canada Post “It's a service that Canadians across the land don't support.”
However, almost 600 municipalities have passed resolutions opposing these cuts, or calling for a halt to these cuts that were announced in December of 2013, until there is proper consultation with all Canadians. Of the four candidates present last Tuesday evening, Mr. Aspin was the only one who supported the current and ongoing cuts to Canada Post.
Canada Post’s corporate plan predicted a $256 million loss from operations in 2014. But the corporation actually made $299 million. That means that they are off by over 500 million dollars! This should make you question what is really going on.
Most of the 2014 profits aren’t from the door-to-door delivery cuts. After all, the cuts to home mail delivery only started late in 2014 and only affected about 100,000 households.
The truth is that the home mail delivery cuts are unnecessary and cruel. They will create huge problems for everyone, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and small business owners.
Without proper consultation with the people of Canada, Stephen Harper’s government is heading us towards privatizing Canada Post. Thanks to him, we now have the longest election period to discuss this issue and the strongest mandate with 338 seats up for grabs in Parliament. NOW is the time for everyone across this country who are sick and tired of this pessimistic and negative Conservative agenda to have their say by going to the polls on October 19th, Election Day.
The Liberal Party is at least willing to halt the cuts that have been put in place, and to enter discussions on the matter. The NDP want to put things back the way they were, as a profitable, money-making corporation, firing the President and 22 Vice-Presidents of Canada Post who collectively take home more than 10 million dollars a year. The Green Party wants to put in place revenue-generating ideas such as Postal Banking, which Canada Post has already conducted a four year study on, and all points that are readable to the public show that this would be a win-win situation for all involved.
In North Bay the local impact has been and will be severe and devastating. Canada Post has changed their level of service locally so to mail a letter across town or even across the street it has to go to Toronto first, and the crown corporation and local management have cut over three and a half hours of service from the local corporate retail office a week. The employees are still in the station working, just not servicing the public. The loss of over fifteen local full time letter carrier jobs will mean a loss of over one million dollars out of the local economy, money any community cannot easily afford.
Imagine Cobalt, a town in our riding with a rich and proud history, with a thriving community theatre, but no economic opportunity because there is no bank willing to chance losing money. But there is a post office! The idea of Postal Banking, which we had up until 1968, is one used in many other countries like Italy, France, and Switzerland, to great success. It would be nothing but a great benefit here in Canada as well, giving everyone an opportunity to bank anywhere, not just those in big cities.
At the end of the day on October 19th 2015 what these issues and numbers will add up to are the ABC’s of our Canadian politics, Anything But Conservative!
Keith Bradford
President
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Local 576
North Bay
