Stockwell Day, Official Opposition Foreign Affairs Critic, is to hand over to the Auditor General documents brought to him by a Passport Canada employee, which alleges serious breaches of security and procedure.
“This employee apparently tried to get superiors to consider the extensive catalogue of improprieties within the Passport Office,” said Day. “When officials found out that this person had met with me as a Member of Parliament, the employee was then subjected to a series of highly questionable repercussions.”
Day said the whole matter requires a serious review by people in the Auditor General’s Office who are equipped to handle high level allegations of this nature.
Allegations with documentation include:
Security Breaches – Unacceptable levels of errors and oversights in the granting of passports puts the security of the passport application process in serious question. Examples include everything from non-citizens being granted citizen passports, to guarantors who have not even given their correct (or any) last names.
Improper Hiring – Proper job competition guidelines have allegedly been ignored with multiple cases of hiring of relatives and friends without due process being followed.
Misinformation Given to Standing Committee on Public Accounts – It is alleged that a Senior Bureaucrat presented false information to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, indicating that high levels of security were realized due to the possession and use of high-tech equipment, which it is now alleged, does not even exist (or did not at the time).
Whistleblower Wrongly Suspended – An employee with information on the above issues had apparently spoken to superiors without avail. Then, when the employee decided the inaction was too extreme to be left unaddressed and went to an M.P., they were allegedly wrongly dismissed.
Something tells me that none of this will come as a surprise to her.
I have two passports, one from Canada and one from the UK. (that’s entirely legal, by the way)
When I renew my UK passport, they examine my old one, and issue a new one.
When I renew my Canadian passport, they ignore my old one and insist that I gather together all of the backup documentation (birth certificate, co-signatures, etc) all over again.
From this I draw the conclusion that the Canadian passport office has no faith in their own passports.
As per Kakola, that’s exactly my recent experience, except that my comparison is with a recent issue of an Australian passport v.s. the Canadian. Further I know now that my old Canadian passport is not considered a primary form of identification when applying for a new Canadian passport. You would believe the reasoning provided for this bit of asshat idiocy
oops, that should have been “you would NOT…” but I’m sure you all knew what I meant
That’s because there are too many mouths on the public food chain that need feeding. Another example: I worked in a hospital for a while. I needed some supplies from Grand & Toy immediately. They obliged and couriered the stuff to me. BUT it sit on the loading dock for two days until they could get a unionized employee to deliver it to my office. Your Cdn tax dollars/healthcare funding at work. This is why we pay and pay and pay through the nose. Another example: I was in the UK and had my purse snatched on the tube. It had my passport in it. I needed a new one. Got one through the Cdn embassy, but somebody somewhere whited out the birthdate when they realized they’d made a mistake. You can only imagine what grief that caused me going into the US. This is why the Tories are feared: they would cut off this flow of misservice/mismanagement and abuse at the source. And where would all these incompetents go then?
“It has a significant degree of autonomy in administering its operations.”
Yasirree, bub.
That is the perspatt office; enough room to drive 488,983
patronage appointments through in a morning, before break.
OTOH, the PCO & PMO have sole discretionary power to appoint their placemen to the perspatt office.
Line forms at the left…Librano$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Ah, yes… I personally am not surprised in the least. I am not at liberty to get into specifics, but I have worked for the Feds before and can confirm that there are indeed what I reasonably suspect to be hiring irregularities. Policies may not be adhered to, and the nepotism is eye-openingly rampant. I do wonder if the whole intensive hiring process really matters, what with the testing, some of the interviewing, etc.
I also wonder if job performance is considered all that important. The informal feedback confirmed for me my performance was exceptional, but… there was no official record or recognition of this, as far as I know. Perhaps I should have kept my political orientation to myself, as the beaureaucracy is heavily leftist- no surprise there. Word gets around. Perhaps one can get blacklisted. No wonder most new hires are on a temporary basis! Weed out the non-lefties, damn the performance! I am back in the private sector, where performance always matters, at least where I now work.
But as I said, I’m afraid I cannot say anything specific. Legal reasons, I’m sure everyone understands. It’s not like I have tapes or anything, anyway! 😉
Security plan announced
OTTAWA (CP) – Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan has announced a comprehensive plan for North American security and prosperity.
canoenews…..
Librano$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
All’s Ok now. Annie-got-your-guns has it all under control. Back to work, everybody.
BTW, this is her opening shot in her campaign for President/Chairman of the Republic of North America. You heard it here, first: Scoop for WS & SDA.
(Shh.. forget about passports..)
Actually, I would argue the Canadian system of requiring reidentification based on original documentation is more secure. There will be mistakes made in issueing passports, and illegitimate or suspicious ones being granted in any system; moreso in systems where there is a distinct advantage for people to try and game and fraud the system. Assuming such passports will be given out, then if one forces a person to go back to the original supporting documentation, then the chance of maintainning such a fraudulent passport decreases. It may cost more, but implemented properly the resulting system can be much more secure. (Note: I never said it was implemented properly, I said if implemented properly).
Something tells you that you are right Kate!
Once again the value and the need for Whistle-Blower protection law comes to the fore.
Sooner or later a critical mass of Canadians will rally for the push to enact Bill C-11. See.. BendGovt.blog.ca
This bill needs more effective enforcement elements added, but it will be an excellent start, and enhancments may be added later on.
WB law is in the pipe for the USA as well. Some stealth and treachery are evident, but progress is being made. See.. http://www.nswbc.org
WB law is also in focus for the United Nations.
Could this Bill C-11 be a good CPC cause? A cause where everyone wins?
This does help 100% of Canadians, not just 1% as with SSM, Bill C-38. 73s TG
You mean I have to provide the original fake birth certificate from a non-existent church in Quebec to get my new multiple identity(s)? How the hell am I suppossed to collect four or five separate welfare cheques, now? Sheesh!
tonyguitar, the CPC & Bloc & NDP have been hammering about appropriate whistleblower legislation for some time. The Libs either just tried to or just did (I forget) pull the teeth from the one currently under debate (I’m assuming C-11). I think Kate blogged about it a week or so ago? Maybe it was something else. All these bills getting rammed through, then jammed, then rewritten in the dark of night and passed (or attempted to be passed) at final reading is getting me confused.
kakola, jq: You’re not kidding the passport office doesn’t trust their own security process.
True story: last year I lost my (Canadian) passport and had to get a replacement in a hurry because I was going overseas. I chose to pick the passport up at the local passport office because I could be sure to get it in ten days. Mailing it (the usual procedure) would have introduced an uncertain delay I wasn’t willing to risk.
When I showed up at the passport office with my barcode receipt, the girl behind the counter scanned the barcode and then went and retrieved my passport.
And then she said: “I’ll need to see some ID.”
I swear, I Am Not Making This Up.
Her: “I’ll need to see some ID.”
Me, flabbergasted: “Er… I thought that was the id.”
Her, with a warning tone in her voice: “Well, this is a travel document, but in order to release it to you I have to see some ID.”
Me, getting snarky: “Well, you know, I thought you could open the passport, look at the picture, look at my face and say ‘Hey, that’s the guy!’ You know — like you expect border control at every other country in the world to do?”
Her, chilly as the Arctic: “That’s as may be, but I’ll still need to see some ID.”
Me, exasperated: “All right, but what does it say that you trust the Alberta Driver’s License security process more than your own?”
I still haven’t gotten over that one. =)