For Immediate Release:
October 9, 2009

OTTAWA--Mississauga – Streetsville Member of Parliament, Bonnie Crombie, gave her maiden speech as Liberal Party Critic for Crown Corporations today on the matter of Canada Post’s exclusivity priviledge. On Tuesday, Mrs. Crombie was asked by the Leader of the Liberal Party, Michael Ignatieff, to be the Liberal Party Critic for Crown Corporations. Immediately, there was a Bill on the floor of the House of Commons that Mrs. Crombie had to address.

Bill C-44 deals with Canada Post’s statutory monopoly on mail delivery and attempts to allow other parties to deliver letter mail addressed to recipients located outside of Canada. Canada Post has an exclusivity priviledge to deliver mail within and outside Canada.

The Bill is only 21 words long but has tremendous potential to deregulate, privatizatize, poor postal service to rural areas and urban centres, and raise postal rates. It deals with an obscure ambiguity dealing with Canada Post’s exclusive priviledge for delivering mail outside of Canada. For years, private international mailers have taken advantage of this ambiguity. “This discrepancy between the French and English versions has allowed an industry to develop outside the intentions of the act. We are debating Bill C44 because of this discrepancy,” added Mrs. Crombie. The Supreme Court of Canada has since ruled that Canada Post’s exclusivity priviledge does indeed apply to international mailing. This means the international mailers have been operating illegally.

In her speech, Mrs. Crombie stated that the Liberal Party will agree to send Bill C-44 to Committee in order to analyze it properly and more thoroughly, “At this time, we are agreeing only so far as to send the Bill to committee in our attempt to make Parliament work,” said Mrs. Crombie.

Mrs. Crombie discussed her concern with the government’s motive for trying to implement legislation which could lead to deregulation and privatization. “What this Bill proposes to do is deregulate postal service by allowing remailers to compete for the international share of the business. It’s a slippery slope. Once competition is permitted in one segment of the business, what prevents the government to privatize, spin off, sell off, or open competition in other sectors of this Crown Corporation or others. What is this Government’s true agenda?” asked Mrs. Crombie.

Mrs. Crombie was adament about the importance of Canada Post, its history within Canada and its ability to keep Canadians connected at home and around the world. She spoke about how Canadians appreciate Canada Post as an institution and about its invaluable service, “Despite this electronic age of instant messaging, email, Facebook, and Twitter… Canadians still value a stamped and sealed envelope which carries strong sentimental value for their most special occasions, birthdays, weddings, funerals and/or holiday greetings,” concluded Mrs. Crombie.

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