Ed Komarnicki, MP Souris-Moose Mountain Saskatchewan

38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 064
CONTENTS
Thursday, February 24, 2005

Canada Post
Mr. Ed Komarnicki (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

Post offices in my riding have informed me that Canada Post has 18 rural post offices under consideration for closure. Yesterday the minister said that there is no plan to close rural post offices. Yet, in a letter, Canada Post vice-president for field operations said that continuing to support small rural post offices are a heavy burden on the bottom line.

Will the minister categorically tell the residents of Souris--Moose Mountain that small rural post offices in their constituency are not under consideration for closure and will not be closed?

Hon. Reg Alcock (President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I will simply repeat what the minister said yesterday. There is no policy regarding the closure of post offices.

Mr. Brian Pallister (Portage—Lisgar, CPC): Mr. Speaker, that kind of dismissive city boy response does an injustice to the rural Canadians who have a serious concern about rural post office closures.

Yesterday the minister said that there is no plan to close post offices, but his incompetence is showing as it often does. Post offices are being closed. They are being closed in the Maritimes, they are being closed in British Columbia, they are being closed in Saskatchewan, and we learned today six more have closed in Alberta. The government says there is a moratorium on post office closures. Canada Post says it is going to close post offices.

Who is telling the truth or does the government even know?

Hon. Reg Alcock (President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, in the case of the post office that was closed in British Columbia, there was no one in the town who wished to operate it. It is a town with 27 homes in it and an operator could not be found for it. Therefore, it was not a lack of willingness on the part of Canada Post to keep it open, there was no one to run it.