Public Accounts Committee on June 9th, 2009

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Sheila Fraser]

Things are never completed.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Oh, I recognize that.

There must be someplace else you can go for just a little while. Give 'em a break.

[Sheila Fraser]

I'll just say that they are certainly not on...any immediate plans to revisit them.

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Thank you kindly.

That's all, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Madam Faille.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

I have a question that has to do with what my colleague mentioned regarding the 10-year electronic passports that you will implement in 2011, if I am not mistaken. The implementation date is 18 months from now.

Just out of personal curiosity, may I ask if you have studied the profitability of this technological project?

[Christine Desloges]

We are currently finishing that work before submitting it to Treasury Board.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thus, as we speak, you do not yet have authorization from the cabinet?

[Christine Desloges]

We announced it in the budget.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Yes, but you still have not obtained the cabinet authorizations to launch this initiative?

[Christine Desloges]

We have the cabinet authorization, in general terms. However, before beginning a project, we always need approval from Treasury Board. Afterward, there are two stages, one is an approval in principle, which is followed by an effective approval. This is what we are preparing for so that we can get it very rapidly before the December 2011 deadline.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

It is at the end of 2011 and not at the beginning of 2011.

[Christine Desloges]

The end of 2011.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

So we are not dealing with 18 months, but two years.

[Christine Desloges]

Yes.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thus, the profitability study has not been done yet?

[Christine Desloges]

No. We made an initial business case, a first profitability study. However, we must always adjust things to make sure that we are reflecting current reality. This will be submitted to Treasury Board again very soon.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Let me just add two points.

Could you give us some information, especially the table that shows passport applications by province over the past three years, and the table of gains and losses for each product?

One more thing. Are there any differences between the passports issued abroad as compared to the passports issued in Canada? Many people tell us that they have difficulty in finding people to sign their passport application when they are abroad. I am talking about university professors, among others.

[Gary McDonald]

Let me answer. The procedures are essential identical. As for the booklets, all Canadian passports are issued in Canada, except the temporary passport that is available to those who urgently need one abroad. However, the regular five-year passports are all printed in Canada and they are distributed to the clients through Canadian missions abroad.

You spoke about guarantors. You mentioned professors and so forth. When they are abroad, they can use either the old or the new policy with regard to guarantors, who can be either a Canadian passport holder or a professional included in the list.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

I just have one question for Ms. Fraser.

Regarding usage fees, in 2008, you severely criticized the consular services. Has this problem of excessive user fees for consular services been solved?

[Sheila Fraser]

To my knowledge, we did not do a specific follow-up. The department had indicated that it would make some clarifications regarding the fees that can be charged and included in consular fees. We did not do a follow-up. I do not know whether the deputy minister has some information about this.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

That is all, unless the deputy minister has some answers.

[Leonard Edwards]

Following the Auditor General's recommendations, we reviewed the costs that go into consular service fees. We are currently discussing the matter with Treasury Board.