Like most Canadians, I was rather startled to hear last month that Canada Post was planning to eliminate door-to-door delivery of mail, and raise the price of domestic stamps to $1.00. But then came the real shock, this massive increase in the price of stamps and the elimination of door-to-door delivery were supported by Canadians. The implication was clear: we had asked for this change and Canada Post was simply responding to what Canadians had told them.
I struggled to recall being asked about these, or any changes, to Canada Post. But Canada Post spokespeople hit the airwaves, frequently referring to their massive consultation with Canadians. Massive consultation? Did someone call you? Did you throw out a mailer from Canada Post asking for your opinion? No you didn’t. No one called you. Nothing was mailed to you. Canada Post’s consultation consisted of town meetings in forty-six communities, and these were advertised via an April 24th news release, a “Future of Canada Post” banner on canadapost.ca, digital signage on post offices, and a message printed on receipts issued at Canada Post outlets.
Canada Post’s report on its consultations doesn’t say how many people attended the forty-six community meetings, nor does it provide anything more than snippets of dialogue from participants who attended, and who, of course, support the cuts. Further consultation was achieved through the receipt of 3006 online comments, and, quaintly enough, 868 letters. The quotes provided in Canada Post’s report on consultations include some well-selected snippets. One online comment went so far as to note that the cost of stamps had “gone up so slowly over the years. It’s long overdue to catch up.” Another said, “Moving something across the country in a few days should cost more.” With comments like these, who needs enemies?
Clearly, Canadians wanted to pay almost twice as much for half the service. We had been consulted.
And that’s the real kick in the teeth. Rather than make the hard decisions and say to politicians and the populous, “That’s the option we’re putting on the table, what do you think?” Canada Post is choosing to blame its hard choices on a public that is begging to pay more for less.
Well, all I can say is, welcome to my world.
First Nations routinely state that they are not consulted when important decisions are made that affect their communities. The Harper government recently introduced a bill that would make fundamental changes to the structure and oversight of schools in reserve communities and what do we hear from First Nations – we hear that they were not consulted.
The Idle No More movement has struggled to bring First Nation issues to the forefront of Canadian public and civic consciousness. All too often non-First Nations people feel that Aboriginal people are complainers, that their issues are dealt with rationally and appropriately by federal officials.
Think again. If you were caught off guard by Canada Post’s announcement last month, you shouldn’t have been. You were consulted, and now a federal Crown agency has only you to blame for the conditions of your postal service. You made this happen. It’s your fault.
So, remember this the next time you hear First Nations people complain that they weren’t consulted. And remember to read the receipt the next time you interact with a federal government agency – or you might end having your home flooded by a dam, or a pipeline rammed through your community. And if that happens, it’s your fault. You were consulted.
Douglas Sanderson is an Assistant Professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
