October 29, 2003

(Letter to the National Post)

Dear Editor:

I would like to comment on your October 29^th editorial, "Accountable to Canadians II".

There are several good reasons why a number of Crown corporations are exempt from the Access to Information Act. In the case of Canada Post, it was incorporated for the express purpose of operating on a self-sustaining financial basis in a competitive environment.

As one of the very few Schedule III, Part II Crown corporations under the Financial Administration Act, it is recognized that Canada Post operates in a competitive environment, that it is not dependent upon appropriations for operating purposes and that it is expected to earn a return on equity and pay dividends to the Government of Canada.

Treasury Board Guiding Principles for the Management of Crown Corporations state that those that compete with the private sector should operate on a level playing field and be subject to the same regulatory requirements as the private sector. Coverage by the Access to Information Act would impose on Canada Post obligations that do not apply to our competitors, either within Canada or internationally.

To effectively compete in today's dynamic physical and electronic distribution market, Canada Post is establishing alliances and joint ventures with private sector partners, which involves an exchange of confidential information. Access to Information would greatly impair Canada Post's ability to compete successfully and make a profit and would undermine its relationship with third parties whose information would be vulnerable in Canada Post's hands.

Canada Post is committed to transparency and is subject to more public accountability than any other competitor or private sector corporation. This is evident in its Annual Reports that present financial results on a segmented basis.

The reduced competitiveness of Canada Post resulting from coverage by the Access to Information Act would impact its revenues and would in turn either reduce service to Canadians or lead to higher prices for postal services. The disclosure of Canada Post's commercial information would mostly benefit self-interested competitors of the corporation and would not serve a true public interest.

Sincerely,

John Caines
Manager, National Media Relations