Pause Canada Post mandate review
Petitioners ask the House of Commons to pause any final review of Canada Post's mandate until a parliamentary inquiry probes governance, finances and conflicts and halts divestment, restructuring and capital purchases. The government responds it accepted an Industrial Inquiry Commission report and is implementing its recommendations; no mandate review is planned and oversight remains.
Why we would sign this petition
- It pauses irreversible decisions until a full parliamentary inquiry can verify governance, finances and alleged conflicts, reducing risk of mistaken divestments.
- Requiring audits, independent investigations and publication of the postal-banking report would raise transparency and provide evidence to inform policy choices.
- Suspending divestment, restructuring and major purchases and giving workers a voice protects postal services, jobs and communities while oversight is established.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Multiple prior reviews and an Industrial Inquiry Commission report exist or are being implemented; pausing actions could delay urgent measures to address Canada Post’s financial losses.
- Parliamentary inquiries, audits and investigations take substantial time and resources and may duplicate existing oversight, delaying concrete solutions.
- Immediate suspension of closures, restructuring and purchases could prevent necessary operational reforms needed to restore Canada Post's financial viability.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons, the Government of Canada and the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement WHEREAS: Any review of Canada Post’s mandate necessitates a thorough explanation of the strategy that brought it to the brink of bankruptcy and should allow for a public consultation; The CEO of Canada Post, Doug Ettinger, sits on the board of Purolator, which is a conflict of interest; Canada Post reframed its financial situation to the public by announcing a five-year investment plan worth more than $4 billion in 2023 before reporting that it lost $3 billion in six years in 2024 (CBC), failing to mention the $2.23 billion in capital expenditures over this same period (2017–2022) and the record-breaking revenues in 2021; Canada Post increased its parcel volume by 66% on average from 2018 to 2023, compared with 2014 to 2017, all while claiming to be losing market share. Its capital spending rose by 57%, and profits of $97 million per year on average became losses of $499 million per year on average; The government’s highly publicized $1-billion loan allegedly made to “maintain its solvency” arrived at a time when the Canada Post group of companies was finalizing an agreement to purchase the customs broker Livingston International to benefit Purolator for an undisclosed amount; Canada’s six big private banks collectively earned $58 billion in profit in 2024, which proves that reopening a postal bank would have a huge positive impact on Canada’s economy and Canadians while ensuring the viability of a public service intended to benefit society as a whole. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to immediately pause any final proposal to review Canada Post’s mandate until a comprehensive parliamentary inquiry has been completed, one that mobilizes all available resources to examine the governance, finances and dubious management strategies of Canada Post, including the following steps: Have the Auditor General of Canada undertake a complete audit and analysis of Canada Post and provide the public with a report detailing categories of expenditures to confirm whether the losses reported as being “operational” are truly so; Have the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner or a comparable independent authority investigate possible corporate malfeasance by analyzing the minutes, dubious capital purchases and conflicts of interest, as well as the decision-making process; Request the immediate suspension of all divestment—including of real estate—restructuring and so-called modernization and capital equipment or infrastructure purchases; Give workers a voice regarding costly new methods and unnecessary spending; Request the immediate publication of the full, unedited and unredacted independent report on postal banking services commissioned by Canada Post, which was completed in approximately 2014 but has remained secret ever since; and Recommend that an oversight committee be established to monitor the corporation’s operations, with protective mechanisms to protect the public from deceptive practices that can result in unjustified financial difficulties for the corporation—including strict enforcement protocols and penalties for individuals who do not follow these rules.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Québec Lieutenant Signed by The Honourable Jenna Sudds Canada Post Corporation is a federal Crown corporation with a statutory mandate to provide universal postal service to all Canadians, in a financially self-sustaining way, while operating at arm’s length from the Government. Canada Post Corporation is facing existential financial challenges due to the drop in revenue from the decline in letter mail and its declining market share in the increasingly competitive parcel delivery industry. These pressures are compounded by the uncertainly caused by the corporation’s 2-year long unresolved labour negotiations with its largest union. There have been a number of studies and reviews which have examined Canada Post Corporation’s mandate, governance, management strategies and financial performance, including, but not limited to, the 2008 Strategic Review of the Canada Post Corporation, the 2013 Conference Board of Canada Report (The Future of Postal Service in Canada), the 2016 Canada Post Corporation Review Task Force (Canada in the Digital Age), the 2016 Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) Report (The Way Forward for Canada Post) and the 2024 OGGO Report (Canada's Postal Service: a lifeline for rural and remote communities). Most recently, in December 2024, the Government appointed an Industrial Inquiry Commission to examine Canada Post Corporation’s financial and labour challenges. The Industrial Inquiry Commission received nearly 1,000 submissions from a wide range of stakeholders, including Canada Post Corporation workers, postal unions, business associations and not-for-profit organizations. The Industrial Inquiry Commission issued its final report in May 2025 recommending amendments to Government postal policy around community mailboxes, rural post offices, and lettermail and changes to the collective agreements that would need to be negotiated, such as more flexibility to hire part-time workers. In response to the Industrial Inquiry Commission recommendations, in September 2025, the Government announced it had accepted the Industrial Inquiry Commission recommendations and would be moving forward with lifting of the moratoriums on community mailboxes and rural post office closures, and changes to service standards for the delivery of lettermail. Canadians deserve a strong, stable and affordable postal service. The measures announced mark a first and necessary step towards addressing Canada Post Corporation’s financial situation. Canada Post Corporation’s statutory mandate and accountabilities remain unchanged, and no mandate review is scheduled at this time. While a mandate review may be pursued at a later date, the Government is prioritizing the implementation of the Industrial Inquiry Commission’s recommendations as a key first step, due to the critical financial situation, as evidenced by Canada Post Corporation’s reporting of subsequent record quarterly losses in the second and third quarters of 2025. In addition, the Government notes that Canada Post Corporation remains subject to a stringent governance and oversight regime as part of the legal and policy framework established by the Government of Canada, which includes (amongst others): the Canada Post Corporation Act, the Financial Administration Act, the Conflict of Interest Act, and the Access to Information Act. This framework defines oversight and governance mechanisms while preserving the arm’s length nature of the Crown corporation. The mechanisms include, but are not limited to: A Board of Directors appointed by the Governor in Council following the completion of an open, transparent and merit-based selection process to oversee the Crown corporation’s business activities and other affairs. The Board’s responsibility is to act in the best interests of the corporation and to exercise due care and diligence. A special examination by the Auditor General of Canada every ten years. Submission of annual corporate plans and budgets to the responsible Minister for the approval of the Treasury Board of Canada, with summaries tabled in Parliament. Publication of audited annual report and quarterly financial results. Canada Post Corporation’s 2024 annual report was jointly audited by Ernst & Young Limited Liability Partnership and the Auditor General of Canada, who concluded that Canada Post Corporation’s financial statements fairly presented its consolidated financial position in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Compliance with the Conflict of Interest Actbythe President and Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors of Canada Post Corporation. As a reporting public office holder, the President and Chief Executive Officer must disclose all activities to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner within 60 days of appointment. As public office holders, the President and Chief Executive Officer and Directors of the Board are also subject to the Government of Canada’s Open and Accountable Government principles, including ethical conduct and political activity guidelines that reinforce integrity, transparency, and non-partisanship in their roles.