Poll: Support for postal banking - Opposition to postal privatization and deregulation (Perspective • August 2013)

People like the idea of Canada Post making money through financial services according to a poll commissioned by CUPW.

Close to two out of every three respondents (63%) to a Stratcom poll supported Canada Post expanding revenue-generating services, including financial services like bill payments, insurance and banking.

CUPW asked Stratcom to conduct the poll in order to contribute to the debate on the future of Canada Post Corporation (CPC).

This debate began in April when the Conference Board of Canada released a report called The Future of Postal Service in Canada that looks at cutting postal services and freezing or decreasing the wages of postal workers. The report was paid for by CPC and has been used by CPC to lay the groundwork for dramatic service reductions, including alternate day delivery of mail, replacing public post offices with private outlets and converting door to door delivery to community mailboxes (For more information, see Good reasons to distrust the Conference Board report on page 6).

In addition to working with the Conference Board, CPC held invite-only meetings with selected groups and conducted a largely online public consultation on its future, focusing on cuts.  

Canada Post is having a very one-dimensional discussion on the future of our public post office “said CUPW National President Denis Lemelin. “It has options other than cutting.” Lemelin pointed out that the corporation could follow the lead of post offices in other countries by leveraging its network and adding lucrative banking services.

He said, “Our poll shows there would be support for such a move.”  

The Stratcom poll also found there is no appetite for major changes at Canada Post such as postal privatization and deregulation.  

The poll found that 69 per cent of respondents opposed the privatization of Canada Post and just 31 per cent supported it.  

As for deregulation, 71 per cent opposed allowing private companies to deliver lettermail while 29 per cent supported this change.

Stratcom also found that support for postal deregulation is not solid. Respondents who favoured deregulation were asked whether they would change their minds and oppose letting private companies deliver lettermail if they knew that this move would make it impossible for Canada Post to keep its one-price-goes-anywhere service for the price of a stamp.  

Stratcom found that over half (58%) of the support for deregulation would melt away, bringing support to 12 per cent, down from 29 per cent.  

These results were drawn from a Stratcom national online survey which interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,514 adult Canadians between May 24th to 26th, 2013.