CFIB blasts Canada Post

Canadian Federation of Independent Business
News Release

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TORONTO - Canada Post is being blasted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) for its wide-ranging postal increases that went into effect today.

"These price increases are unnecessary, unfair and come at a terrible time when the economy is weakening and so many small businesses are struggling to stay alive," said CFIB executive vice president, Garth Whyte.

"Canada Post tried to justify much of its reasoning to raise prices a few months ago when the cost of gasoline was so high," said Whyte. "But that is obviously no longer the case with the price of gas at the pumps being much less." Whyte also said there has been a lack of accountability and government oversight in recent weeks because of the turmoil at the federal political level. He said the Crown Corporation should have had its plan for raising rates put on hold until it could be thoroughly scrutinized after things stabilized in Ottawa.

"We strongly oppose these new arbitrary increases on Canadians for undependable service and see absolutely no justification in having them repeated year after year with no checks and balances."

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