The post office has outlived its usefulness: Checkup caller

Peter Leis, who once paid all his bills through Canada Post, says he recently switched over to electronic banking. He called in to Cross Country Checkup on Sunday from Etobicoke, Ont., to share his thoughts on why electronic services, like online bill payment, make the postal service less and less necessary.

Listen to his discussion with Checkup host Duncan McCue:

Peter Leis: I paid all my bills through the post office, but after the last time we had an issue regarding job action at the post office, I've gone to electronic payments on everything. To me, the post office has outlived its usefulness. And that will continue as electronic services continue to expand.

Duncan McCue: We had a letter carrier, Erin, who tweeted in from Winnipeg. She said this: "People don't realize how many times we have returned dogs, kids or elderly people with dementia." There are a lot of people who like having letter carriers and say they are really important parts of the community. What do you think about that?

PL: In that case, they're doing stuff outside their work. You're looking at things that don't really relate to anything that they're supposed to be doing.

DM: So should postal workers expand the services they provide to maintain their relevance?

PL: They can also cut down services. Looking at where I live for example, why do I get daily mail delivery? It doesn't make any sense. You have to be thinking about that too. Frankly, two days a week is all I need. I don't see any reason for daily delivery.

Peter Leis' and Duncan McCue's comments have been edited and condensed. This online segment was prepared by Ilina Ghosh.