Passport Canada

[Michael Bluth]

Do they somehow think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file?

Perhaps they had anticipated that the Conservatives would have been more accountable rather than blaming it all on low level bureaucrats. What responsibility has Peter MacKay taken publicly?

So you don't think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file.

[jdobbin]

Perhaps they had anticipated that the Conservatives would have been more accountable rather than blaming it all on low level bureaucrats. What responsibility has Peter MacKay taken publicly?

None. And some of the apologists here for the policy continue to blame ordinary Canadians for the passport mess.

[scribblet]

The government was warned by the Auditor and yet continued to bumble its way through things even though they predicted the demand would pick up. It will continue to pick up as cross border vehicle traffic is also included.

Yes it will, but they have hired more people, but then you et al will complain about a bloated gov't and all that - they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Its a fact that the previous Liberal government did squat about the observations made by the Auditor General in 2005 while the CPC have made significant progress. What was it the Auditor General said:

"Another area where globalization has a significant impact is passport services. In 2005, we reported that the Passport Office (now Passport Canada) was struggling to meet higher expectations for security and growing demands for service. Since then, it has dealt with an unprecedented demand, issuing over three million passports in 2005-06. High-demand pressures will continue, given the more stringent U.S. requirements for passports.

I'm pleased at the progress Passport Canada has made in the relatively short time since our 2005 audit. The Agency has clearly directed a major effort toward resolving the problems we had identified. "

[Argus]

So what you are saying is that this woman should have anticipated long ago that she would develop terminal cancer and have only 6 months of mobility left.

I think what they're saying is she's stupid for not foreseeing that the conservatives would come to power and that government would become incompetent.

So you're saying that all these services were much more efficient under the Liberals? Cause I got news for you, even before the announcement of the US border changes for passports they were working 3 shifts at Passport Canada in a clearly too-small building. Nothing was done about this then, and so far as I know the Liberals made no provisions for speeding things up (ie, giving Passport Canada a lot more money, more equipment, more space) after they knew about the changes in US requirements.

[scribblet]

It wouldn't matter how bad the Liberals were or are, or how good or bad the CPC is, they can do no right in the eyes of Liberal partisans. I wonder what plans the dithering Liberals had if any.

I doubt that the Liberals or any other party could handle the increase in applications, something like over 21,000 a day now. How many people would they have to hire to process them and get the backlog cleared up in say, a month? I guess 500 new employees isn't enough, but if they hire more and the backlog is over, then what do we do with them - fire them?

The AG also said the gov't faces a complex undertaking that will need the full cooperation of other government organizations at both the federal and the provincial and territorial levels. You don't say!

[jdobbin]

I'm pleased at the progress Passport Canada has made in the relatively short time since our 2005 audit. The Agency has clearly directed a major effort toward resolving the problems we had identified. "

I'm glad that you're pleased. This is no way excuses the crashed websites, the busy telephones and long lines of people who are trying to get their passports long in advance of when they need them and still can't get them.

However, go ahead and blame the Liberals if you want. It probably won't wash for those who have to stand in a long line. Think they'll be saying: "It's a good thing the Tories are in power so that we can speed through this process."

[Argus]

Sheez who saw this coming huh - this passport thing came right out of the blue.

Anyone paying for a vacation without having a passport in their hands must be a tad slow on the uptake, emergencies do happen, and often they will process them quickly but it seems something like over 300,000 applications were received in January alone. But yep, its all the CPC's fault cos you know - we've only known about it for the last few months. Sure - this has been years coming and the date has been moved back a few times. No-one's fault but their own.

The government was warned by the Auditor and yet continued to bumble its way through things even though they predicted the demand would pick up. It will continue to pick up as cross border vehicle traffic is also included.

So what should be done about it?

[jdobbin]

It wouldn't matter how bad the Liberals were or are, or how good or bad the CPC is, they can do no right in the eyes of Liberal partisans. I wonder what plans the dithering Liberals had if any.

It wouldn't matter how bad the Tories are. They can do no wrong in eyes of Conservative partisans.

[jdobbin]

So what should be done about it?

Making sure their websites don't crash when people try to get their passports way in advance of when they need them. Have someone, anyone answer the telephones. Issue appointment times so that people don't have to stand in line.

[Argus]

I'm pleased at the progress Passport Canada has made in the relatively short time since our 2005 audit. The Agency has clearly directed a major effort toward resolving the problems we had identified. "

I'm glad that you're pleased.

That was a quote from the AG. But don't let that stop you from your rabid partisan attacks.

[normanchateau]

Do they somehow think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file?

Perhaps they had anticipated that the Conservatives would have been more accountable rather than blaming it all on low level bureaucrats. What responsibility has Peter MacKay taken publicly?

So you don't think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file.

Of course I think the Liberals would have been more proactive but I can't prove it any more than you can disprove it. The Conservatives have already demonstrated their incompetence in handling this file as they have so many other files. What a bunch of bumblers. And some of their supporters actually blame the victims of their incompetence...like women dying of cancer who should have anticipated that this would happen before they were declared terminal.

[sharkman]

Well, this is a situation that hasn't happened in our history before, and I'm amazed at the number of Canadians who want passports what with the U.S. being so unpopular here. I've heard that more people are being hired to deal with the backlog, my wife and I want to get passports ourselves but have been waiting to apply.

[Argus]

Do they somehow think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file?

Perhaps they had anticipated that the Conservatives would have been more accountable rather than blaming it all on low level bureaucrats. What responsibility has Peter MacKay taken publicly?

So you don't think the Liberals would have been more proactive on this file.

Of course I think the Liberals would have been more proactive but I can't prove it any more than you can disprove it.

I know a junior manager there, one who oversees the people who physically create the passports. I can tell you there was no real plan of action. The passport staff were moved into a new building about three and a half years ago. It was already too small when they moved in, but the owner was a big contributor to the Liberal Party, so they moved in and took out a multi year lease. Because the building is too small there isn't enough space for equipment or staff, so that they needed to institute multiple shifts and repeated mass overtime in the years prior to any affects of the new border procedures. And again, because they were already doing that there wasn't a lot of room left for speeding things up.

If the Liberals were going to do something about the anticipated flood of applications they would have needed to make arrangements far in advance to purchase the new equipment and install it in a different building and then hire new staff. The lead time on that kind of operation is at least two years, and NOTHING was done or ordered up until the last election.

[BC_chick]

I wonder how many of those Vancouverites in the eight hour lineups on the sidewalk at Passport Canada will be voting for Canada's new Government next time.

IMO if there's been a lot worse than the passport office. In their defense LPC got sloppy after 13 years in power and against a broken opposition (pretty much as close to absolute power as you're going to get within a democracy). The CPC are bold enough to try the same tactics within months of coming into power and even after the opposition gathers itself together. Yet the answer to every question is "well, the Liberals...."

[sharkman]

The CPC are bold enough to try the same tactics within months of coming into power and even after the opposition gathers itself together. Yet the answer to every question is "well, the Liberals...."

Huh? How about some examples chick.

[BC_chick]

The CPC are bold enough to try the same tactics within months of coming into power and even after the opposition gathers itself together. Yet the answer to every question is "well, the Liberals...."

Huh? How about some examples chick.

Gee, I don't know, Fortier, Emerson, Income Trusts, Ethics commissioner, the disappearing wait-times guarantee.... I could go on if you'd like. But my point wasn't the tactics, it was the time-frame. He hasn't even been in power 18 months.

[sharkman]

Those aren't even in the same ball park as the Liberals, I didn't think you had anything. Hey, don't vote for the Tories all you want, but smearing a party just because you don't like them belittles you arguments.

[BC_chick]

Those aren't even in the same ball park as the Liberals, I didn't think you had anything. Hey, don't vote for the Tories all you want, but smearing a party just because you don't like them belittles you arguments.

Thanks for demonstrating my point about the only argument I hear in defense of Harper is "well, the Liberals....."

[sharkman]

In their defense LPC got sloppy after 13 years in power and against a broken opposition (pretty much as close to absolute power as you're going to get within a democracy). The CPC are bold enough to try the same tactics within months of coming into power and even after the opposition gathers itself together. Yet the answer to every question is "well, the Liberals...."

Thanks for proving that you are a hypocrite. You started off with this statement comparing CPC with the LPC yourself, and then, what, are surprised when people comment on it?

[Wilber]

I've had several go around's with the passport department over cost, inconvenience of getting a new passport each time rather than a renewal and the fact that we can only get a document valid for five years when everyone else's is good for ten and some of them are renewable. They started with letters to the Minister and my MP. The result with both the previous and present governments was the same. Passed on to the same chain of civil servants who give the same non answers (basically, this is the way we do it, like it or lump it, we don't care) until you get tired of beating your head against the wall and give up. Again, the result was the same under the Liberals and the Conservatives. Until some government puts a bomb under this branch of the bureaucracy, they won't change anything.

This isn't a partisan political issue, it is more of a civil service empire, bureaucratic inertia issue.

[wolfd]

The Conservatives campaigned on a platform of government accountability. Apparently this does not apply to Peter MacKay's ministry which is apparently "in charge" of Passport Canada.

"Auditor-General Sheila Fraser warned the federal government in mid-2006 that the agency wasn't ready for the increase in applications. Naturally, nothing was done -- which has led to the current crisis." Story below:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/ed...e7-68106e9b2b99

Perhaps Monte Solberg, another minister in this government of incompetents, was being ironic last month when he said in Regina, "Canada's new Government is working to improve the services we provide Canadians."

I wonder how many of those Vancouverites in the eight hour lineups on the sidewalk at Passport Canada will be voting for Canada's new Government next time.

Bunch of stupid people completely ignore the upcoming deadline, pay no attention whatsoever to the news or warnings, and wait until the last minute and - SURPRISE - there's a flood of applications and they have to wait.

Oh boooooo hoooooo! If you lose your deposit for that trip to Florida because you only applied for the passport last month - good. Serves you right for being a sub literate cretin. I feel zero sympathy for those people waiting in lines for their passports when they've known about this for over a year.

I'm not sure that a lot of these people actually read the news about the deadline for this issue.

[BC_chick]

Thanks for proving that you are a hypocrite. You started off with this statement comparing CPC with the LPC yourself, and then, what, are surprised when people comment on it?

I've explained my point to you a couple of times now, just because you don't like it, it doesn't mean your interpretation of it was correct. The point was that within such a short Ttime-frame, the Tories have managed to pretty much catch up to the Grits in making false-promises and especially about accountability. Yet every time someone brings up Harper's actions, the only ground his supporters have to stand on, is "well, the liberals...."

IOW, Liberal wrong-doings do not NEGATE Harper's. Answer that, if you can.....

[sharkman]

I already answered your comparison with the Grits. It shows how little you know about the Grits record in the last 20 years. How old are you? I'd bet you were a mere tyke when the Libs first got to power after Mulroney.

Again, what the Tories have done so far is nothing. Do you even know what a hypocrite is? Prove it.

[Michael Bluth]

IOW, Liberal wrong-doings do not NEGATE Harper's. Answer that, if you can.....

Is democracy the Harper Government perfect? No.

Is it better than all the other options out there? Yes.

If you live your life expecting perfection you are bound to live a life of disappointment.

[Cameron]

I got a passport last year this time. I knew of the deadline. I had no problem. I hope these people enjoy waiting. I'll be sitting on an Italian beach in about three weeks.

I'd have to chalk it up to civil servants. If the Passpord Office knew of the deadline, why didn't they initiate change well before the deadline. This seems to be an internal thing.