Canada Post disclosed to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates that it paid approximately $30.8 million in bonuses to management employees during 2025, despite reporting a net loss of $1.57 billion for the same year.

During committee testimony, Canada Post president and CEO Doug Ettinger attributed much of the financial loss to prolonged labour disruptions and argued that the corporation's underlying deficit was lower than the reported figure.

He also defended the organization's compensation structure, explaining that the bonuses are part of an established 'at-risk' performance program covering roughly 7,000 employees, including managers, supervisors and some administrative staff, rather than being limited to senior executives.

Ettinger further stated that executive incentive payments have not been issued since 2011 and highlighted cost-cutting measures, including reductions in management positions, travel spending and pension changes for employees.

The disclosure nevertheless drew criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which argued that paying performance bonuses while the Crown corporation relies on substantial federal financial assistance is inappropriate.

The organization noted that Canada Post received more than $2 billion in federal financial support over two years and criticized the corporation for initially refusing to release bonus records until parliamentary pressure resulted in their disclosure.The article also points out that Canada Post has accumulated approximately $5.

4 billion in losses over the past eight years and references an Industrial Inquiry Commission report warning that the corporation faces an existential financial crisis without significant reforms.

The broader debate centres on whether management incentive programs are justified during periods of persistent financial losses and increasing reliance on taxpayer support.