Article content continued

The topic was how to address the opioid crisis, but much of the five-page document dealt with the mail issue.

The report indicates there had been several conference calls on the topic involving director general-level bureaucrats in Public Safety, the CBSA, the RCMP, Public Services and Procurement Canada and the privy-council office.

Photo by Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press

“The consensus among portfolio partners including PS is that legislative change is an effective way to address the issues that the (Canada Post act) presents for police to address contraband in the domestic … mail system,” it said.

The issue extends beyond illicit opioid shipments getting into the domestic mail, the report said.

“Organized crime groups are and will continue to exploit the legislative gaps in the domestic mail system.”

The document also notes that the imminent legalization of recreational marijuana added another reason to amend the law.

“These changes would support efforts to restrict access to children and youth, and others not legally permitted to possess and consume the drug by sending cannabis through the mail,” it said. “There is also a pressing time frame to resolve this issue.”

If police obtain a tip about mail containing contraband now, they can only try to seize it at the receiving address.

The police chiefs’ group has passed resolutions on the issue for each of the last few years, and wrote to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould in October about it, said Tim Smith, a spokesman for the association.

She wrote back this week to indicate a member of her office staff to contact for further discussion, he said.

“This remains a very important issue for the CACP,” Smith said Friday.

A spokesman for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association was not available to comment, but the group has said in the past it would not have major qualms with the change, so long as police were required to get a judge’s approval before opening mail.

(Updated to correct full name of Canada Border Services Agency)

• Email: tblackwell@nationalpost.com | Twitter: TomblackwellNP