Standing Committee on Public Accounts

HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, November 06, 2009 -

Passport Canada has significantly improved its ability to process passport applications and deal with a potential surge in applications, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented in the House of Commons today.

In January 2007, the United States’ Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Phase I led to a sudden surge of Canadians applying for passports. Passport Canada was not prepared for this surge in applications. This led to a significant processing backlog and frustrations for many Canadians.

In March 2009, the Office of the Auditor General presented to Parliament a follow-up audit on whether Passport Canada had developed contingency plans to address the anticipated surge in applications associated with WHTI Phase II. The audit found that Passport Canada has taken a number of steps to identify what went wrong in 2007 and to implement measures to ensure that Passport Canada was better prepared to deal with WHTI phase II. Passport Canada had increased capacity, improved its policies and processes, and developed a contingency plan to deal with a potential surge in passport applications.

In its report, the Committee noted the significant progress made by Passport Canada and acknowledged the considerable efforts of Passport Canada management and staff to learn from past experiences and to take the necessary actions. Passport Canada’s experiences could be used as an example for other government organizations. The Committee was, nonetheless, concerned that Passport Canada’s financial situation may not be sustainable as each passport currently costs $7 more than Passport Canada collects in fees.