Mr. Speaker, I have a petition addressed to the minister responsible for post offices. This subject perhaps has taken a new slant with the new minister but I do have an obligation to present these petitions anyway. I have been sitting on them here for a week or so. The petitioners are from little places in rural eastern Ontario, for example Lansdowne, Elgin, Westport, Gananoque, and so forth. They express real concerns about the previous government's position in reference to rural post offices.
Rural residents think they deserve the same postal services as urban residents of Canada enjoy.
The previous government pillaged small towns in rural Canada. They ask that the new minister responsible for post offices take a new look at this and he already has. The petitioners are asking the new minister to restore complete postal services to rural communities. They have grown accustomed to this service through the years and would like to see it restored. I support these petitioners as do many of our rural caucus.