Letter to the Minister on the Canada Post in the Digital Age discussion paper

The Honourable Judy M. Foote, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Dear Minister:

On May 5, 2016, this independent task force was established to conduct Phase 1 of the Canada Post Review. The mandate was to deliver a discussion paper that outlined viable options for the future of Canada Post Corporation. This paper would then serve as the basis for an informed public dialogue led by a Parliamentary Committee in Phase 2 of the Review which would then make recommendations to the Government. We, the members of the task force for the Canada Post Review, are submitting our discussion paper.

Our role was not to conduct any public consultations but rather the engagement of stakeholders. We must acknowledge and thank the thousands of Canadians and organizations that took the time to contribute to our part of the Review by meeting with us, responding to the question of the week on the website, or sending us their thoughts, ideas or submissions. Although definitive conclusions or findings cannot be drawn from this input, it did provide us with a broad range of perspectives.

To get a statistically representative view of Canadians and businesses from which conclusions could be drawn, formal public opinion research was conducted from coast to coast to coast. Patterson Langlois was commissioned to capture the views of Canadians, Environics the views of Indigenous peoples, and Ekos Research Associates the views of businesses of all sizes.

As part of our fact-finding and evidence gathering, we also retained the services of experts in financial analysis and international postal services. EY (Ernst & Young), a global financial firm, provided us with independent analysis of Canada Post’s financial position and projections. Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, supported us in the identification and assessment of new business opportunities some based on their knowledge of best practices of other postal organizations.

Our work would not have been possible without Canada Post Corporation. Management of the Corporation and the unions took the time to meet with us and help us understand the context of the operations and management of postal service. Management made available to our consultants the data and information needed to conduct an independent review. We thank them for their collaboration.

Last but not least, we were also supported by a Secretariat within your department. This Secretariat provided us with invaluable support and advice throughout our work. We could not have completed our work without them.

As we conclude our assignment, we are aware and appreciative of the issues and challenges facing Canada Post Corporation. With the complexity of adapting the present to the future, the partnership of Canada Post, the Government, other stakeholders and Canadians must be brought together to find optimal solutions. We would like to thank you for your confidence and having given each of us the opportunity to have played a role in the future of this important public institution. We remain available to you and the Parliamentary Committee as the next phase of the Review unfolds.

Sincerely,