Canada Post Corporation oversight
Ministerial oversight of postal affairs and support for the minister responsible for Canada Post Corporation
The Minister of Public Service and Procurement is responsible for Canada Post. The role of the minister is to determine the broad policy direction of the corporation while respecting its operational autonomy in other matters. Ministerial responsibility for Canada Post was transferred in November 2015.
As a Federal Crown corporation, Canada Post operates at arm’s length from the government and is responsible for managing its own operations in accordance with its enabling legislation, the Canada Post Corporation Act.
International
As a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the United Nations agency that coordinates postal policies among 192 member nations, Canada is required to maintain a postal system that provides a universal service and which allows for the reciprocal exchange of mail between countries. Canada Post has been designated sole entity in charge of fulfilling, on Canada's behalf, the responsibilities of operating postal services to meet these obligations.
The Canadian delegation to the UPU includes officials from Public Services and Procurement Canada, who are responsible for overseeing postal affairs in Canada, as well as employees from Canada Post.
Regulatory Framework
- Canada Post’s interaction with the government as shareholder necessitates that it be responsive to a broad range of governmental actors. Some of these include Parliament, the Governor in Council, the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board of Canada, the minister responsible for Canada Post, and the Minister of Finance. Each entity has the role of shareholder and guardian of the public interest.
- As per the Canada Post Corporation Act, Canada Post has a dual mandate; to operate on a self-sustaining financial basis, while providing high quality services that meet the needs of Canadians across the country.
- In 2021, the Prime Minister mandated the Minister of Public Service and Procurement to ensure that Canada Post provides high-quality service at a reasonable price and better reaches Canadians in rural and remote areas.
- In 2009, the government established the Canadian Postal Service Charter. It sets expectations for Canada Post’s service standards; ensuring they are universal, affordable, reliable, convenient, secure and responsive to needs.
- In 1994 Canada Post committed to stopping the franchising or closure of post offices in rural areas and small towns, covering over 3,000 retail outlets. These are available in a table of protected Canada Post retail outlets.
Canada Post review 2016 to 2018
Canada Post Corporation Act library materials review report
The Canada Post Corporation Act Library Materials Review report reviews the definition of library material as per the Canada Post Corporation Act and section 19(1)(g.1) of the Act. The Honourable Filomena Tassi, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Services and Procurement, tabled this report in Parliament in April 2022.
Canada Post Corporation Act Library Materials Review report—April 2022
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