The rotating postal strike isn鈥檛 inconveniencing too many people, because most people don鈥檛 rely on the mail the way they once did.
However, it may prove to be a big factor in the referendum on the HST.
Voting packages are now going out in the mail, and the last package is supposed to be delivered by Friday, June 24. That seems to be a hopelessly optimistic timetable at the present, given that no one knows where the postal workers will strike next, and the fact that Canada Post has reduced mail delivery to three days a week from five.
On Tuesday, Canada Post struck in Toronto. Much of the country鈥檚 mail goes through Toronto, including mail that originates in B.C. It isn鈥檛 clear whether the HST referendum packages go there or not, but the modern mail delivery system is built on routing large volumes of mail through specific sorting plants. It is entirely possible that all or most of the voting packages go through Toronto before being delivered to B.C. addresses.
A rotating strike is likely to be called in Vancouver sometime within the next few weeks, as it is one of a few large Canadian cities that haven鈥檛 been struck. Victoria has already been hit once, and will likely be hit again. Other major cities like Surrey, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George are also likely to be struck by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The referendum timetable calls for all completed voting packages to be in the hands of Elections BC by Friday, July 22. While there will be opportunities to drop off the completed voting packages (including a location at Willowbrook Shopping Centre), and that may be the best bet for those who want to ensure that their votes are counted, some people will return the packages through the mail system. This is particularly likely when considering that many take vacations in late June and early July and won鈥檛 be going to great lengths to find a place where a completed referendum voting package can be dropped off.
The vote on the future of the HST is a very important one. Not only is it crucial in determining B.C. tax policy, it is seen by many as an opportunity to strike a blow for democracy and public consultation. While the government badly handled the HST issue for much of the past two years, it is now consulting the public in a meaningful way. It would be most unfortunate if that consultation is crippled by a postal strike.
