Po boxes: of citizens feel cheated by the liberals

Photo Martin Alarie
Pierre Anthian, ex-advisor to municipal residents and resident of the city, poses next to one of the many community mailboxes, which have been implemented against the will of the citizens of the district of Laval-des-Rapides, a few years ago.

Maxime Huard and
Christopher Nardi

Wednesday, 24 January 2018 11:33

UPDATE
Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:59

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OTTAWA | many people have the impression of having been deceived by the Trudeau government, which is income Wednesday on his promise to reinstate the delivery of mail to homes.

“This is very disappointing as the decision of the federal government and that has only added to the long list of broken promises by Trudeau since his arrival in power. I really thought that this would be the end of the new post office boxes,” sorry Pierre Anthian, a former city councillor from laval, who has himself lost a home delivery a few years ago.

“There are many elderly people over 80 years old in my neighborhood who are struggling to go pick up their mail now since we have removed the home delivery”, protested Réal Girard, age 75, of Rosemere.

Its neighbouring district, Suzanne Trudeau-Gauthier, could not help inveighing against the fact that the doors of their box community won’t freeze up in the winter. Result: at the age of 88, she kept walking back and forth, not knowing if it will succeed to take his mail.

End of the conversion

On Wednesday, the minister of public Services has decided that there would be no return to the home delivery for the sectors in which Canada Post had implemented new boxes in the community.

“We will put an end to the conversion to po boxes, but we’re not going to put the toothpaste in the tube,” said Carla Qualtrough at a press conference in Mississauga, Ontario.

During the election campaign, the liberal leader Justin Trudeau had yet been categorical. “We are committed to restoring service to the homes,” he promised at the town hall of Montreal, September 3, 2015.

The platform of the liberals, it was less accurate, and spoke rather to stop the transition current.

Approximately 840 000 residences on a total of nearly five million have lost their home delivery since 2014 due to the controversial plan by the Harper government. Once in power, the liberals had imposed a moratorium on the installation of new mail boxes.

Broken promise

“We are disappointed that the Trudeau government has set aside his promise,” regretted the spokesman of the workers ‘ Union of postal workers (CUPW), Denis Lemelin. Currently in negotiations with the employer side, the CUPW promises to fight for that delivery at home is completely restored.

Canada post assesses that such an operation would cost at least $ 195 million. The union believes that the amount is rather of the order of a few tens of millions.

The opposition parties have also decried a broken promise. “Justin Trudeau was willing to say anything to be elected,” said the conservative mp Gérard Deltell.

“Mr. Trudeau has not excuses”, has insisted the mp néodémocrate Alexandre Boulerice, ensuring that Canada Post has all the financial capabilities, saw its profits today, to restore home delivery.

Financial prospects are difficult

In the Face of a decline in the mail and costs of labour increase, the financial situation of Canada Post is only stable in the short term, according to the federal. In 2015 and 2016, the institution has earned a profit of $ 99 million and $ 81 million, respectively.

A study by the firm Ernst & Young estimated, however, last spring that Canada Post could lose up to $ 700 million by 2026 if nothing was done.

In order to ensure long-term viability, Ottawa will require Canada Post that all profits are reinvested in services and innovation. The institution will also have the mandate to evaluate new initiatives, such as the delivery of the end of the week, and the delivery of mail a day on two.

The canadian taxpayers Federation (FCC) considers that Canada Post needs to clean its finances in order to be sold to the private sector. Both the FCC that the Montreal economic Institute believe that the solution goes through the end of the public monopoly.

Accessibility

Many stakeholders had criticized the problems of accessibility to post office boxes. The federal government has announced the establishment of a committee to assist seniors and people with reduced mobility.

The president of the Grouping of the activists for inclusion in Québec (RAPLIQ), Linda Gauthier, was disappointed that the government does not return completely the service. “This is a half good news,” she responded, welcoming the judgment of the conversions.

The RAPLIQ, who had campaigned from the outset against the installation of postal boxes, would have liked to see the federal government provides the opportunity for people with reduced mobility who request it, receive mail at home.