Service Canada  Mr. Speaker, not only were an additional 500 staff hired in December, but three processing centres were opened across the country in anticipation of this demand. In addition to that, over 303 Service Canada centres will accept passport applications. In addition to that, those who

Service Canada  Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, staff in Service Canada offices are working long hours over weekends and overtime to ensure that Canadians get the service they need during this unprecedented volume. I would also like to mention that ESDC has leveraged additional staff to come in to

Ukraine  Mr. Speaker, each year, as parliamentarians, we have the opportunity to welcome Ukrainian interns to be part of our offices through the Canada-Ukraine parliamentary program. This year comes with added significance and an opportunity for us to learn first-hand what Ukrainians are

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, it is an honour today to speak to Bill C-233. I would like to start by thanking the member for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for putting forward and creating space for the bill. Throughout her career, she has been a tremendous advocate for those who have suffered from dom

Government Services  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her advocacy for her constituents. As we know, Service Canada has been ramping up service for Canadians across the country in all of its service centres, step by step and day by day. We know there are large volumes and that

Government Services  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy for his constituent on this particular file. Canadians are travelling again and we are seeing unprecedented volumes around the country. Yes, there are specific cases that do need attention. I would encourage the member to reach

Passports  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his advocacy for his constituents. We know that Canadians are travelling again. There has been a significant increase in the demand—

Community Leader in York Centre  Mr. Speaker, June is Italian Heritage Month. I would like to honour a leader in our Italian community in York Centre, Amneris Cristofoli. This year, she celebrated her 80th birthday, but to see her we would not know it. Amneris is a dedicated and energetic pillar in our communit

Passports  Madam Speaker, as the hon. member and many Canadians know, after two years of travel restrictions in this pandemic there is an unprecedented backlog of applications both in Canada and around the world. This has led to delays in processing and issuance, but the minister has been a

Passports  Madam Speaker, I would like to be clear that those clients and Canadians who need to travel for humanitarian reasons or other compassionate purposes, such as critical illness or other emergencies including the death of another person, can obtain a passport within two business day

Passports  Madam Speaker, since December, Service Canada and our passport agents have been preparing for what we have now. The surge is unprecedented, and we continue to work through the process. Just as an example, 600 new employees have been hired and are on the job. Another 600 employees

Passports  Madam Speaker, as I mentioned before, additional processing facilities have been opened and initial staff have been hired, but this is not unprecedented, just here in Canada. It is around the world. Wait times in countries like Australia, the U.K. and elsewhere are anywhere betwe

Passports  Madam Speaker, after two years of travel restrictions, the surge is unprecedented. We know Canadians are frustrated. We know case workers are frustrated, which is why we are doing everything we can. The minister continues to work with officials to look at every opportunity to imp

Passports  Mr. Speaker, as we are all aware, after two years of travel restrictions Canadians are travelling again and there is increased demand and volume for passports. That is why the focus of the minister and officials has been to make sure that Canadian do receive their passports. It i

Passports  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member and all colleagues of the House who are advocating for constituents with urgent travel needs. Employees at Service Canada have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to serve Canadians, and they have been performing their services overtim