Elizabeth May : Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has dismissed the notion that Canada Post would remain viable through diversification of services, as other countries have done. Yes, it is true in Canada’s history that we used to have postal banking and it fell into disuse.
In the period of time since postal banking services ended in Canada because Canadians preferred their own branches, the branches have really receded in terms of accessibility, particularly in rural and remote communities. There was a drop between 1990 and 2002 of 26% in branches that have closed in smaller communities. Surely Canada Post has an opportunity here, by providing postal banking, to diversify, to remain competitive and to continue a level of service that Canadians expect.