Evidence of meeting #26 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was office.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Do you have an accelerated plan to bring more of them in line? What would that be, and what timeframe have you allotted for that?
Chief Executive Officer , Executive Office, Passport Canada
We are right now....Three things needed to be done in order to provide Service Canada with what they need to expand. The first was a change to the passport order, and that is being done as we speak. The second was to have an implementation plan, and that is being done as we speak. Training has already started with Service Canada employees to expand the network by a significant number of offices providing authentication of documentation.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Are you aware that Service Canada as well has a modus operandi in many areas where you just don't walk in and get service? It's just not available. You have to go by appointment and/or you have to go online. You cannot just walk in and say “I have a problem and I need to deal with this” or “I need a passport”. You have people who are sometimes five, six, seven, or eight hours away from the Service Canada office. It makes it a very difficult situation.
The only solution, obviously, is “Let's go to our member's office, because at least we know we can talk to a person there”. That reality still exists, and I would like to make you aware that this really is a continuous problem.
Chief Operating Officer, Operations Bureau, Passport Canada
Thank you.
I wasn't aware of that with Service Canada, and we'll look into where the appointments are required so that we can try to change some of the service offerings there.
Our thrust, because expanding offices is hugely expensive, has tried to be threefold. First is Service Canada, so that people who want to ensure their application is as correct as it can be....
The second strategy is increasing the renewal uptake. When we began the renewal program last August it was 25% uptake. It's becoming close to 40%, which is a better service because you don't have to give your documents to us, and there are fewer errors and less chance of rejection.
And the third one is reducing our service standards so that if you mail in your application you're not waiting six, eight, or ten weeks; you're waiting two weeks plus mailing time, just like anybody who lives in a centre where we have a passport office.
We've tried to use those three strategies in combination. Certainly we still have some adjustments to make, there is no doubt, but I do think we're heading down the right path. We'll look into what Service Canada is doing.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
If I had a budget, I, for one, would make a desk available in part of my office for a person to handle that. In a lot of our remote and rural areas, if we had a budget, I'm sure that within our office capacity we could even be of assistance to you in a cooperative effort rather than in simply an ad hoc, “let's just do whatever makes it work” effort.
Perhaps I shouldn't be speaking for the procedure, the operation, and the responsibilities of a member of Parliament, but the reality is we're dealing with it. If we have to deal with it on an ad hoc basis, perhaps we should be dealing with it in a responsible, organized fashion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Thank you.
You know, of course, there is a huge challenge, especially in northeastern Ontario, for people to access any kind of service. You told us today that you are now going to be funding Service Canada to do what we're doing now.
I can tell you right now that you're going to be getting a high demand for high funding for our region, because we do a lot of passports all around us. It's not just Sudbury. It's Kirkland Lake, Timmins, Sault Ste Marie, and North Bay. There is a huge basin of population there, and we all have to drive to Toronto or Ottawa or Montreal for emergency passport services.
Let me tell you that when you drive on those two-lane highways in wintertime there are accidents. There are grave consequences to some of these people having to drive all that way down to Toronto to access a service. That's why there's a demand that you open a processing office in northeastern Ontario, because there is a real challenge there.
You're telling us you're going to work with Service Canada and they're going to hire the people, so why don't you hire them yourself?
I can tell you that if you check with all the federal agencies that have offices in northeastern Ontario, they have a huge stability in their workforce. I don't think you'll find any federal office up there where there's a huge turnover of staff. Training staff is extremely costly, and if you have to keep training staff over and over again, even if they go to another department, it's still your cost to train.
Why don't you consider opening an office in a place like northeastern Ontario--Sudbury--to give the service and have the trained staff that stays with you, and then there would be access to emergency passport services for a whole host of people?
I've been told by people who work in the Mississauga office that they hope that I can get a passport office open where I am, because they get so many people from Sudbury and surrounding areas. Why not do that? Your costs are going to be the same if you're going to Service Canada, because they are going to demand eight, nine, or ten staff to do this, and then you'll have a stable staff and you'll be able to process a lot of passports right there.
I'm asking you that. It's a direct question because you have the costs and you know the issues.
Chief Executive Officer , Executive Office, Passport Canada
By using Service Canada, and looking at the costs--how much Service Canada would charge us to do that business--the extent to which their service can be provided geographically is much greater than what Passport Canada can provide, unless we have small offices in every northern Ontario town.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
But at least you have one that is within a three- or four-hour drive, instead of having to go 10, 12, or 14 hours. At least do that.
If you look at Canada Post, they offer services in areas where they don't even break even, but they use the fact that they can make a profit in other areas to offer service. It's fine that you have to break even, but you are also there to offer a service, and it is a very high demand service in my area. That is why I'm pressing you on this.
I also want to tell.... I don't know if it was Mr. McDonald, but I think it was. The last time you came before the committee, the answer I got was you need to have safes because it's very high security. I checked, and we do have banks, and they do have safes, so we can have that kind of security in northeastern Ontario. And I think we can supply you with the kind of staff you need.
I'm going to leave it at that, because I'm sure you're not going to give me an answer now, but I'm hopeful that you'll look at that in your plans. It makes sense.
Chief Executive Officer , Executive Office, Passport Canada
Madam Chair, we are looking at eventually changing the model we have. As I said before, as we proceed with technology and the capacity to process from everywhere in Canada, that option remains available.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Make the decision sooner rather than later.
Thank you.
We're going to take a short break and then we'll get back if we decide to have a subcommittee on future business.
Conservative
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Why don't we just e-mail the press release?