44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 22, 2022 02:00PM
- Jun/22/22 2:34:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Montreal is unacceptable. That is why we are changing things up as of today. We will ensure that people who are travelling in the next 24 hours receive their passports on time. For people who are travelling in more than 48 hours, we have another strategy.
Senior management is there to speak with those waiting in line, because what people are going through in Montreal is truly unacceptable. We will make sure they get served on time.
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- Jun/22/22 2:35:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Montreal is unacceptable and does not reflect what is happening in other places in the country.
For the past four business days, more than 1,000 people have been waiting in line, and we do not want people to be forced to do that. That is why, starting a 7 a.m., senior management teams were there to talk with people and ensure that they were receiving the necessary information and that they had an appointment, which would enable them to come back at a specific time without having to wait in line.
We know it is frustrating and we know that it is important. We will continue to respond to the situation.
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- Jun/22/22 2:36:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I see that all the other parties in the House agree that the Bloc Québécois could never form the government here.
We will ensure that Canadians receive their passports. It is a difficult situation. After two years, we know that Canadians want to travel and that they need to get their passports. The demand is huge, and Service Canada employees are working extremely hard, day and night, to ensure that Canadians receive their passports. We will continue to take action to meet their needs.
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- Jun/22/22 2:38:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the hon. leader of the NDP's little person. I am glad he brought her in.
This government is delivering for families. In fact, across the country, we have delivered 13 child care—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Jun/22/22 2:38:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to congratulate the hon. leader of the NDP for bringing his little person in here. It is wonderful to see children here as well.
I am so thrilled to hear the members opposite be so excited about child care, because there are 13 agreements right across the country that are helping families today. In fact, in many of those provinces, families are already receiving 50% off registered child care fees, which in some provinces is between $2,000 and $4,000 additional dollars in their pockets each year.
That is helping working Canadians, that is helping families and that is helping our children.
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- Jun/22/22 2:40:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have good news for the hon. leader of the NDP. We are providing assistance right now in the 13 provinces and territories, right across the country, through the child care agreements. Families with young children will save thousands of dollars every year. We are talking about real dollars to help families cope with the rising cost of living.
We are there for families, children and our country.
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- Jun/22/22 3:05:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, today, we adopted a new strategy to deal with applications in Montreal in particular. Hundreds and even thousands of people are waiting outside Service Canada offices. We gave out tickets for appointments. The director for Quebec assured me that senior management will be there all day to make sure that everyone in line gets the information they need and that those who are travelling in the very near future get an appointment.
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- Jun/22/22 3:07:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a passport is a secure document. We must ensure the integrity of the process, which involves stringent screening measures. This document confirms Canadian citizenship, and the integrity of the process is paramount.
In addition, nearly 85% of the passport applications we have received are from first-time applicants, and that process is much more complex than a simple renewal. That said, we are here, and we have hired more staff. We are reallocating resources, and we will be there for Canadians.
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- Jun/22/22 3:13:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily important that we get the integrity of passports right. That is something that I have been communicating, and when someone is applying for a passport for the first time, it is one of the reasons that we ensure we are getting this right. When we are looking at children's passports, it is another reason that we want to make sure we have permission from both parents, and if there is a separation, that we go through the custody agreements, because at all costs, we must protect our children. That is exactly what we continue to do.
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- Jun/22/22 3:14:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Montreal right now is like nowhere else in the country, with hundreds of people lining up at the three passport offices. With the Saint-Jean and Canada Day holidays coming up, we know that many Quebeckers want to travel.
We have now changed our strategy to ensure that people receive the services and information they need. We will continue to respond to the situation to ensure that Canadians receive their passports.
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- Jun/22/22 3:15:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first I want to clarify something. The members opposite keep saying that public servants need to get back to work. Public servants at Service Canada have been in offices for months. They have been working around the clock. The people they are talking about who are working from home are the same people who delivered CERB to nine million Canadians. They are the same people who have delivered EI, OAS and CPP at the highest rate in 15 years.
We know there are challenges with passports right now. We continue to work around the clock, and public servants are working—
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