Friday, April 28, 2006

"You keep using that word 'enterprise' ...


... I do not think it means what you think it means."

And since so many folks in Canadian politics are rushing to embrace "enterprisiness," one wonders if they're prepared to take a position on this:

Canada Post uses legal loophole to knock off rival

Lou Laforet still can't believe the successful service he runs is being put out of business in Canada -- by a Crown corporation...

He heads up the Canadian operation of Spring Global Mail -- a joint venture between several international postal companies. It ships bulk mail exclusively to destinations outside of Canada -- more quickly and economically than Canada Post -- according to Laforet.

International business mail is sent directly to foreign post offices, such as the U.S. Postal Service -- where it is then distributed, with postage, to its final destinations. Several large Canadian organizations, including the federal government, use Spring's services.

So what's the problem? Ah, here we go:

... Canada Post has taken legal action to put Spring out of business. The Crown corporation went to court -- arguing it has a legal monopoly over all Canadian mail.

Excuse me? A "legal monopoly?" Since when? Oh, since this:

Canada Post started going after Spring and others like it in 2002. It based its legal argument on a few words in the Canada Post Act. In English, that law states Canada Post has "exclusive privilege" over mail "within Canada." However, the French version of that same law makes no reference to geography.

Canada Post used the French version to make its case...

Garth Whyte believes the new government should be the [sic] held accountable, for the jobs and businesses lost.

"I would like the Conservative government to tell us whether this is their policy."

Me too, me too. And I'm curious about Gerard Kennedy's take on this as well, him being so "enterprisey" and all these days.

No comments: