Yes.
Evidence of meeting #38 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was passport.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #38 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was passport.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
This is unprecedented.
3:50 p.m.
Chief Operating Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
It's unprecedented.
As for calls from the MPs' offices, right now we have about five calls for every agent, so it's about five times the normal volume. We are working overtime this week and next week, and the weekend after. There is significant blitzing. We are using everybody who is available to work within the Passport Canada organization to return those calls, to get that back to normal, because all these things--like calls and traces and people calling in and asking us to look for individual passports--take away from the bulk of the work that needs to move through. We're trying to stop the bleeding at this point, and we're not saying that we're resolving it perfectly, but what we want to do is be very tactical in our approach so that we can get to the bulk of the work.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
First, I must state my comments from an MP's point of view. I will refer to a question by my colleague, Mr. Bonin. This is a practical question, and I will tell you about my personal situation.
It goes without saying that my employees are there to serve the voters. It is a part of their job and of mine as well. I have a budget for this purpose. This is basic.
Previously, I had one half of a person for dealing with passports and birth certificates. We also help people fill out their forms, this occurs very often in Quebec and also when dealing with foreign countries. We help them in every way we can. I imagine that my colleagues do that as well. Let me emphasize that I am speaking on my own behalf. I would not want you to think that I am speaking on behalf of others and I would not want others to speak on my behalf.
Thus, I had one half of a person-year and there was no problem. Currently, I have one and a half person-years. My riding office has a reasonable operational budget, but I have no budget to hire an employee and a half to deal with passports, a half person-year to deal with employment insurance, a half person-year for other miscellaneous things. I would have six assistants and I could no longer spend on anything else. I could no longer travel.
You might think that we are offering quality services because I am a federal member of Parliament. This is done in a non-partisan way and has nothing to do with my being a federalist or not. I am not a federalist. There are federal programs, and we offer the services.
But my co-workers and myself bear the brunt of all the criticism. I created a system. Thus, if they are not happy, we will move out and I will have them sign a brief letter that I will send to the minister. Thus, you can expect some correspondence. I really want to help, but I cannot do anything about the criticism. All I can do is repeat to them what your employees tell me. You know that they are doing their best. Unfortunately, that does not go very far.
With regard to the MP Desk—I am currently the MP for Rimouski-Neigette-Témiscouata—Les Basques—, we might just as well forget about it. It is not their fault. Perhaps they did not get any training. I do not want to call them incompetent, but they do mislead us with regard to the timelines and dates for the issuance of emergency passports, etc. It is easier to deal with competent people in the Quebec and Montreal regions than to use the MP Desk. I want you to know this. I will not identify any employees by name or by number. I simply want to tell you that this system really does not work.
You tried to answer the chair's question, and I understand that the same question is being asked thousands of kilometres from here, perhaps less so in eastern Quebec. I think that I can speak for my other colleagues from that region because I know them very well. In eastern Quebec, on the north and south shores, namely in the St. Lawrence estuary, something could be done so that people do not have to go all the way to Quebec. People from Gaspé have to drive for five, six, seven or eight hours to get a passport. In the winter, it is out of the question. It is useless.
Let us forget Post Canada, because even if you pay $15, there are further problems. People try to be polite, they tell you that your photo is attractive, but it is not accepted, and the application is returned. I have observed this, among other things.
With regard to Service Canada, and now I am speaking on behalf of my riding and the neighbouring ridings, Service Canada is not at all prepared to do anything at all in this area, unless we give them the tools that they need, or recruit new personnel or whatever.
Now let me ask you my question. Ms. Thomas, you answered a few questions, but I was astounded to hear one of your answers today. I understand that you said that you did not think that you were hit all that hard. I am very surprised, because you, or at least Mr. Cossette and your associates, were aware of the number of travellers from Quebec and Canada that go to the United States every winter, in addition to business travellers, etc. You had some idea of the number of people and of the time when this would happen. Moreover, the United States had been discussing this for a long time. It was a question of time. However, I was astounded when I heard you say that you had been taken by surprise.
What is your current backlog? What measures have you taken to make sure that applications are promptly dealt with? In my opinion, 60 days is too long.
Now let me deal with my colleague's question. If you receive a mail bag today, how long does it take for it to get opened? We understand that there is a backlog of mail bags.
Do you realize—and this was Mr. Bonin's question—that during that time, the $85 for the federal government in the envelopes are not deposited in the bank?
Imagine if the employee in charge of the mail—I think that this must be a monumental task—opened the envelopes, took the cheques and the credit card payments to cash them in. I understand that you would get paid in advance, but I wonder if the clients would be happy with that. Thus, the money remains inactive. To complete Mr. Bonin's question, could you give us an idea of how much money is lying inactive in mail bags?
With my first question, I wanted to know why you told the clerk that you were available for only one hour.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
Let me answer the first question, Madam Chair.
We were asked to be present here for an hour.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
All right, but we will be keeping you here for two hours.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
We said that we were available for one hour. If we had been invited for two hours, we would have spent two hours here.
4 p.m.
Bloc
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
We have no time limit.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
You can stay later than 4:30 p.m., because we requested more than one hour. We were told that you were available for only one hour.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
It does not matter. We know that you are available for two hours.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
We were offered two periods of one hour each.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
You are here and you will answer all the questions that we have for you.
You can continue, we are interested.
4 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
Madam Chair, with regard to projections, they were made according to a model with a good track record. The projection for the year was 6.6%. We had prepared for 8%, but indeed, we did not expect a 16% increase over the previous year. And in no way did we expect a 50% increase for November, December and January.
We were expecting an increase because that is our peak season. We were not expecting such a large increase. No one can deny that no organization, in the private or the public sectors, is able to respond to such a sharp increase within such a short period of time.
With regard to the mail bags, there were some, in fact, that spent some time lying on the floor of the hallways of the head office, but this is no longer the case. We are gradually going through those bags. We are implementing a system for registering mail as soon as it arrives.
4 p.m.
Bloc
4 p.m.
Liberal
February 22nd, 2007 / 4 p.m.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Before I start, Madam Chair, I was just curious, if you could clarify for me—we're all subs in the committee today—
4 p.m.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
I wasn't sure how you'd do it normally. I've never been in a committee where the chair starts off with an extremely long question and then it goes to--
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
You may never have been on a committee where the chair was from the opposition and took this subject so much to heart. I rarely do that--
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
--but I am the chair and I took the prerogative to ask those questions because passports are a very big issue where I'm from, and we've been working at it for a very long time.
