Trudeau Government Needs To Act Immediately On Passport Problems Before Canadian Really Lose Their Patience

By Harinder Mahil

Canadians are facing serious problems in getting their passports in time. These problems started about three months ago when the governments started to lift COVID-19 restrictions.It is disappointing to see they are continuing.

The Honourable Karina Gould, the Minister responsible for the passport office said in a statement on June 23 that she was deeply concerned about the delivery of passport services to Canadians.She added, “Improving this service is a top priority for the Government of Canada. “

Two days before her statement,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised to do more to fix what he called an “unacceptable” state of affairs at the country’s passport offices.Trudeau said the government had hired more than 600 passport workers in January and they’re prepared to hire even more to help chip away at the backlog.

The prime minister says he understands the problem and so does the minister. However, the problem continues. Both the prime minister and the minister need to understand that Canadians do not need hear their statements, they want the government to take action.

The limited office hours and lengthy lines have forced some travellers to camp out overnight to secure their entry into the office when it opens in the morning. Frustrated travellers have been expressing their grievances by online reviews of passport offices.

Long wait time at passport offices is unacceptable. People are having to take time off work to apply for their passports. Even then, they wait for weeks to obtain their passports.

According to the United Nations, Good Governance is measured by a number of factors including Responsiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency, and Accountability.Responsiveness involves that institutions respond to citizens requests within a reasonable time frame.Effectiveness and Efficiency are developed through the sustainable use of resources to meet the needs of a society. Accountability refers to institutions being ultimately accountable to the people. In my view, the government is failing on all these factors.

Only the federal government can issue passports. Canadians can not go to anyone else to apply for a passport. The federal government has many options to fix the problem including hiring more employees and allowing existing staff to work overtime to eliminate the backlog. It should deal with the problem before Canadians become even more disillusioned with its performance.Harinder Mahil is a community activist and President of the West Coast Coalition Against Racism (WCCAR).