Thank you, Ms. Chabot.
With all due respect, I disagree with you. I have travelled across the country to meet with Service Canada employees, and they are dedicated public service employees. However, you have to understand that there has been an increase in the number of applications.
As we talked about the last time I testified before the committee, with respect to employment insurance, there are predictable increases in the winter and summer. The situation with the Omicron variant and the closures that it caused were not predictable. So there was an incredible increase in the number of requests during the winter, particularly in Quebec. However, as a result of conversations we had with you and other Quebec MPs, we took action. We then saw an impressive drop in the number of EI claims waiting to be processed, thanks to the actions taken by Service Canada. So I want to thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. Service Canada has responded to the request.
With respect to passports, we had anticipated an increase in the number of applications. However, our estimate was $2.4 million. We now understand that this was not enough, so we are adjusting.
What I want to say is that Service Canada employees are dedicated. They work extremely hard, they work overtime and they work on weekends. When I spoke with them, I could see that they want to provide the services, but there is a great demand.