HUMA committee briefing binder: Appearance of Minister of Families, Children and Social Development – February 10, 2023

1. Overview

You are invited to appear before the Standing Committee on Human Resources,

Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA).

The committee adopted the following motion:

On Monday, November 21, 2022, the committee adopted the following motion:

That the committee invite the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and department officials to appear for one hour on the Service Canada delays for passport renewals and that this meeting take place before December 14, 2022.

2. Committee proceedings

The appearance is scheduled February 10, 2023, at 8:45 am for 1 hour.

You will have up to 5 minutes for opening remarks.

The following senior officials will support you:

• Jean-François Tremblay, DM ESDC (in-person)
• Cliff Groen, DM Benefits Delivery Modernization (in-person)
• Mary Ann Triggs, ADM, Service Canada (virtually)

HUMA has agreed that questioning of witnesses would be allocated as follows:

• Round 1: 6 minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows:
  • Conservative Party
  • Liberal Party
  • Bloc Québécois
  • New Democratic Party
• For the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows:
  • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
  • Liberal Party, 5 minutes
  • Bloc Québécois, 2 and a half minutes
  • New Democratic Party, 2 and a half minutes
  • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
  • Liberal Party, 5 minutes

Topics

• Service delivery
• Operational Concerns Service Canada workforce

Anticipated questions

• Why was Service Canada so under-prepared for the surge, considering it was seemingly obvious to everyone outside of the organization?
• What type of applications were mostly in the backlog? Passport renewal, new adult passport, new child passport?
• Your stats often do not take into account all the people who fall outside the service standard, and we know there are many of them. Do you have stats on that too?
• The first 10-year passports is expiring in 2023. How will you respond to this volume surge?
• How many passport renewals is the Government of Canada expecting to receive?
• Will there be new backlog?
• Will Service Canada employees continue to work overtime?
• What are the impacts of the Passport backlog on other service delivery from Service Canada Centres?
• How many employees were hired to work on backlog, why is it taking so long even if the workforce has gone up and Service Canada continue to hire more people?
• How long does it take to complete training for a new Passport officer?
• Once the backlog has been cleared, will employees hired to work on the backlog be eliminated or reassigned? What will happen with this increased capacity?
• What is the minister's plan moving forward in terms of helping Service Canada get the resources it needs to ensure service levels improve?

Committee members biography (title included for accessibility)

Chad Collins Liberal Party, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek – Ontario

Brief biography

Chad Collins was first elected to the House of Commons for Hamilton East - Stoney Creek on September 20, 2021. A lifelong resident of Hamilton East - Stoney Creek, Chad resides in the Davis Creek area with his wife Mary and 2 children, Chase and Reese. He attended Glendale Secondary School, the University of Western Ontario, and McMaster University. Chad was first elected to City Council in 1995, at the age of 24, making him one of the youngest elected representatives in the City's history.

Chad is passionate about engaging local residents and community stakeholders, focusing on revitalization of infrastructure, development of social housing and stream-lining municipal programs.

As President of City Housing Hamilton, Chad has been committed to addressing the City's aging affordable housing stock by pressuring all levels of government to invest in the much needed repair of over 7,000 publicly owned units. He continues to work on nearly a dozen new projects across the City and in the riding that will provide new affordable housing units to those in need.

From the creation and development of new community parks and trails to the opening of a new food bank, Chad knows community consultation is an integral part of improving quality of life for everyone in Hamilton East - Stoney Creek.

Of note:

• key issues of interest:
  • affordable housing

Michael Coteau Liberal Party, Don Valley East – Ontario

Brief biography

Michael Coteau was first elected to the House of Commons for Don Valley East on September 20, 2021. He has served as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Don Valley East since 2011. During his time in the Ontario government, his ministerial roles include: Minister of Children and Youth Services; Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism; Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport; Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games; and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Prior to entering the provincial government, Michael was elected as a school board trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2003, 2006 and 2010. As a trustee, Michael advocated for student nutrition, community use of space and the use of educational technology. He initiated the 'Community Use of Schools' motion that drastically cut user fees and made schools more accessible to groups that offer programs for children. He helped introduce nutritional changes in schools that supported healthy food programs and increased awareness of student hunger.

Michael worked as an ESL instructor and curriculum developer before becoming a community organizer for a United Way agency in Scarborough. He was also the Marketing Manager for ABC Life Literacy, where he was responsible for the organizing of the Family Literacy Day across Canada, and was Executive Director of Alpha Plus, a national literacy organization mandated to support adult education through the use of technology.

Michael grew up in Don Valley East and attended Don Mills Middle School and Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. He holds a degree from Carleton University in Political Science and Canadian History. He and his wife Lori live in Toronto with their 2 daughters, Maren and Myla.

Of note:

• spent 10 years in the Ontario legislature
• key issues of interest:
  • low-income families
  • supporting Black Canadian Communities

Wayne Long Liberal Party, Saint John—Rothesay – New Brunswick 

Brief biography

Wayne Long was first elected to the House of Commons for Saint John — Rothesay in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He is a member of the Saint John community with national and international business experience. Wayne currently serves as President of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and his efforts have helped turn the team into one of Canada's most successful CHL hockey franchises winning the cherished Memorial Cup in 2011. That same year, Wayne was recognized with the John Horman Trophy, awarded to the Top Executive in the QMJHL.

Prior to his work with the Sea Dogs, Wayne was President of Scotiaview Seafood Inc. He was also a successful large-scale product manager with Stolt Sea Farm Inc. Wayne's work has seen him travel across North America, negotiating contracts with national restaurant distributors, restaurant chains, and retail chains. He earned the North American Excellence in Sales and Marketing award twice. Wayne is a former Board Member for Destination Marketing and Salmon Marketing.

Wayne was born in the riding, and currently calls the area home alongside his wife, Denise, and their 2 children, Khristian and Konnor.

Of note:

• has been a member of HUMA since the beginning of the 42nd Parliament (2015)
• key issues of interest:
  • poverty
  • mental health
  • outspoken support of the Energy East oil pipeline project
  • previously broken ranks with party (Energy East, tax policy, SNC-Lavalin) which resulted in being kicked off House committees as punishment
  • frequently makes sports parallel (hockey)
  • government programs and support that benefit his constituents

Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Party PS for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing), Hochelaga – Québec

Brief biography 

Soraya Martinez Ferrada was first elected to the House of Commons for Hochelaga in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in 20219 and became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport in 2021. She has also served on the Standing Committee on Official Languages in the last Parliament.

She is a proud resident of the east end of Montréal. Originally from Chile, her family settled in the area in the 1980s. Soraya has deep roots in the community where she currently resides with her son and daughter.

Before being elected, Soraya worked for more than 20 years in the community where she specialized in communications and developed multiple cultural and political projects. Among her achievements, she created the very first cultural and socio-professional integration program at TOHU, a unique example of sustainable development in Montréal.

In 2005, she was elected as a city councillor and appointed by the mayor to the position of Associate Advisor for Culture on the City's Executive Committee. In 2009, she became Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Official Opposition at Montréal City Hall. She transitioned to the federal government in 2015 as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

She created the Vedette d'Hochelaga video clips in which she highlights the commitment of citizens, community organizations, and entrepreneurs in the riding of Hochelaga. She has also set up virtual roundtables and regular newsletters that present federal programs directly serving the people of her riding.

Of note:

• Parliamentary Secretary – Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)
• key issues of interest:
  • poverty
  • Quebec-focused
  • multiculturalism

Robert (Bobby) J. Morrissey Liberal Party, Egmont – Prince Edward Island

Brief biography

In 2015, Bobby was elected to the House of Commons and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He served as a Member on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, as well as the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Previously, he was elected to the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly in 1982 and has dedicated his career and volunteer life to serving the residents of PEI.

Having served as MLA for nearly 20 years, Bobby has a deep understanding of his communities' needs. He has held a number of high-profile roles within the Assembly, such as Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, and Opposition House Leader. He was also responsible for the redevelopment of the Canadian Forces Base Summerside and the surrounding community following its closure by the federal government in 1989. Bobby left politics in 2000 to join the private sector as a consultant specializing in government relations, fisheries, and the labour market. Bobby has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of PEI. He was the founding member and former president of the Tignish Seniors Home Care Co-op, and Vice-Chair of Tignish Special Needs Housing.

Of note:

• Chair of HUMA
• former member of HUMA in 2019 (briefly before the general election)

Tony Van Bynen Liberal Party, Newmarket—Aurora – Ontario

Brief biography

Tony Van Bynen was first elected to the House of Commons for Newmarket-Aurora in 2019 and re-elected 2021. A resident of Newmarket for over 40 years, Tony and his wife Roxanne raised their 2 daughters there.

Community service, volunteerism, and helping those who need it most is what drives Tony every day. He and Roxanne have volunteered at the Southlake Hospital, and the Inn from the Cold, for over 10 years. They also deliver food for the Newmarket Food Bank, and Tony was instrumental in creating Belinda's Place, which is a multi-purpose facility for homeless and at-risk women.

He also had the privilege of serving as the Mayor of Newmarket for 12 years. During that time, community building is what guided Tony on his mission to revitalize Main Street, renew the historic Old Town Hall, and build the Riverwalk Commons so families and friends can enjoy great public places.

Through his previous role as the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and his 30-year career in banking, Tony understands what local businesses need to thrive and grow. He's delivered innovative solutions to help local business owners find success, including creating the Envi broadband network, so businesses in the community have ultra-high-speed connectivity, which has been particularly crucial during the pandemic.

Of note:

• key issues of interest:
  • focused studies to help Canadians, especially getting through the pandemic

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Party Associate Labour Critic, Battlefords-Lloydminster – Saskatchewan

Brief Biography

Rosemarie Falk is the Conservative candidate for Battlefords-Lloydminster. Rosemarie was born and raised in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Along with her husband Adam, she is now raising her children there. She has always been actively engaged in her community. Throughout her social work career and extensive volunteer work she has worked with some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Rosemarie was first elected to the House of Commons in a by-election on December 11, 2017. Prior to this, Rosemarie worked as a registered Social Worker in Saskatchewan and has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary. She also has experience as a legal assistant specializing in family law and as a legislative assistant in federal politics.

In October 2022, under the new Conservative Party leader, she was named to the new Official Opposition's Shadow Cabinet as the Associate Shadow Minister for Labour and Associate Labour Critic.

Of note:

• She has served as a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and as a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities
• Rosemarie is committed to being a strong voice for seniors, families, taxpayers and rural communities
• Associate Critic- Labour in the Official Opposition's shadow cabinet

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Party for Families, Children and Social Development Critic, Peterborough—Kawartha – Ontario

Brief Biography

Michelle is the Member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha and was elected in the 2021 federal election. Michelle was appointed as Shadow Minister for Tourism as part of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet for the 44th Parliament. In October 2022, under the new Conservative Party leader, she was named to the new Official Opposition's Shadow Cabinet as the Minister for Families, Children and Social Development.

Prior to being elected, Michelle was a well-known community advocate, an award-winning entrepreneur, a committed volunteer, and a highly sought-after public speaker and social media marketer.

Michelle has over 20 years' experience in media, marketing and public speaking. During her time as a reporter, one of Michelle's most memorable experiences was when she had the opportunity to visit the Canadian Forces Base, Alert and fly to the station on a C-17 Globemaster.

Michelle is a graduate of Trent University (Biology/Anthropology) and Loyalist College (Biotechnology). Her education in science has led her to be a passionate advocate for physical and mental health.

She is a proud mother of three children, between the ages of 12 and 17, and shares her life with her supportive partner, Ryan, and his three daughters.

Of note:

• She is a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women since December 9, 2021
• Michelle is interested in physical and mental health, housing, the economy and food security
• Critic- Families, Children and Social Development in the Official Opposition's shadow cabinet

Tracy Gray Conservative Party Employment, Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Critic, Calgary Midnapore – Kelowna—Lake Country – British Columbia

Brief biography

Tracy was elected to serve as Member of Parliament for the riding of Kelowna-Lake Country in October 2019. In October 2022, under the new Conservative Party leader, she was named to the new Official Opposition's Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Minister for Employment, Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. She previously served as Shadow Minister for Interprovincial Trade and as the Shadow Minister for Export Promotion and International Trade.

Tracy has extensive business experience and worked most of her career in the BC beverage industry. She founded and owned Discover Wines VQA Wine Stores, which included the number one wine store in BC for 13 years. She is has been involved in small businesses in different sectors including financing, importing, oil and gas service and a technology start-up.

The daughter of a firefighter and Catholic School teacher, Tracy grew up around service and a strong work ethic. She has one son and been married for 27 years.

Tracy has received many accolades including RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the year, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award and 100 New Woman Pioneers in BC.

Tracy served with many organisations over the years. She was appointed to serve by BC Cabinet to the Passenger Transportation Board and elected to the Board of Prospera Credit Union for 10 years. In addition, she served on the Okanagan Film Commission, Clubhouse Childcare Society, Okanagan Regional Library Trustee and Chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

Of note:

• Critic – Employment, Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion in the Official Opposition's shadow cabinet
• Sponsor: Bill C-283, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (addiction treatment in penitentiaries) and M-46 National Adoption Awareness Month (outside order of precedence)

Scott Aitchison Conservative Party Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Critic, Parry Sound—Muskoka – Ontario

Brief biography

Scott Aitchison was born and raised in Huntsville, Ontario. After leaving home at 15, Scott was raised by the character of his hometown. In October 2022, under the new Conservative Party leader, he was named to the new Official Opposition's Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Minister for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion.

Scott was first elected at the age of 21 to Huntsville Town Council. After serving as Town Councillor, District Councillor and Deputy Mayor, he was elected as Mayor of Huntsville in 2014 on a promise of fiscal discipline, responsible governance and excellent customer service. As Mayor, he built a reputation as a consensus-builder relentlessly focused on breaking down barriers and finding solutions.

Of note:

• Critic – Housing and Diversity and Inclusion in the Official Opposition's shadow cabinet

Bonita Zarrillo New Democratic Party Disability Inclusion Critic, Port Moody—Coquitlam – British Columbia

Brief biography

Bonita Zarrillo was first elected as Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Coquitlam in 2021. She is known to be a voice for equality and drives systemic change that puts people first. She entered public service so she could advocate for working people and to support the needs of the most vulnerable in the community. She championed buy-local as a tool for small businesses to thrive and to enable them to hire locally, challenged pipeline corporations to pay their fair share, and completed a successful housing affordability strategy that generated the most rental housing starts in her region.

On Coquitlam Council, Bonita served on the following: Fraser Health Municipal Government Advisory Council, Multiculturism Advisory Committee, Metro Vancouver Indigenous Relations Committee, Universal Access Ability Advisory Committee, and past Board Member for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She sat on the board of two local Not-For-Profits that advocate for gender equality and speaks regularly at The Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations.

Before being elected to municipal government, Bonita worked in consumer products as a Business Analyst for companies across North America and Europe. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, a Human Resource Management Certificate from the University of Calgary and has a Computer Science Degree from CDI Montreal.

Of note:

• Critic – Disability Inclusion
• pledged to help Canadians through collaborative committee work
• key issues of interest:
  • mental health and suicide prevention
  • women's issues and gender equality
  • workers' conditions
  • care economy

Louise Chabot Bloc Québecois Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Critic, Thérèse-De Blainville – Quebec

Brief biography

Louise Chabot was first elected as Member of Parliament in 2019 and was re-elected in 2021. She was born in 1955 in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Quebec, is a Quebec trade unionist and politician. She was president of the Centrale des Syndicates du Québec (CSQ) from 2012 to 2018. The organization initially represented nearly 200,000 members, including 130,000 in the education and early childhood sector. She coordinated a major unionization project that resulted in the consolidation of more than 15,000 family day care managers, a first in the union world in Canada.

Of note:

• Critic – Employment, Workforce Development & Labour Critic
• sponsored the Committee's study on the Review of the EI Program in 2021; critical of the EI program in general and very outspoken about seasonal workers' trou noir and inadequate sickness benefits
• interested in seniors' financial security and their purchasing power
• seek to enact federal anti-scab legislation
• supporter of labour unions – Former president of Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
• member of the consultative committee for Quebec's Pay Equity Commission
• advocate for increase in health transfers
• respect for provincial jurisdictions
• labour shortages
• nurse by profession

Issue

Passport document and application process

Background

Passports provide Canadians with access to consular services abroad, confirmation of a right to return to Canada and facilitated crossings at automated border gates around the world.

The integrity of the Canadian passport is internationally recognized and respected and is a key factor in maintaining safe, secure, and visa-free access to over 180 countries for Canadians.

The Canadian Passport Order (CPO) dictates who is entitled to a regular (blue) passport, how it is issued, and when a passport can be refused, cancelled or revoked.

As part of the passport issuance process, all required documentation is reviewed to ensure accuracy and determine applicant eligibility. Security checks are performed against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Central Index file, which are used as a decision support mechanism for either issuing or refusing a passport to an individual.

There are multiple Government of Canada departments involved in the delivery of the Passport Program:

• Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): Accountable for the overall Passport Program. Is mandated by the Canadian Passport Order to issue, cancel, revoke, withhold and recover Canadian passports
• Minister of Public Safety: Is responsible for passport cancellation, refusal and revocation in cases of terrorism and national security
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC): Provides domestic service delivery: (through Service Canada)
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC): Provides passport services abroad through its consular service network

Key facts

Canadians can submit completed paper applications for a passport by going to any of 317 Service Canada Centres or 21 passport offices or by mail.

As of February 3, 2023,166 Scheduled Outreach sites offer passport services and this will continue to evolve.

Passport Officers or Citizen Service Officers review and validate the information provided by applicants to ensure completeness, including photos, supporting documents, signature, and payment information.

Documentary Evidence of Citizenship (DEC) is examined and validated.

A verification is completed with a guarantor and/or references when applicable. First-time applicants completing a general application must obtain a guarantor to confirm their identity.

Applications may be referred to IRCC for further review.

Key messages

The Passport Program follows an established process for identity management.

Applicants must submit supporting documents, photos, guarantors and references information to obtain a passport in accordance to Program requirements. These elements are key to ensuring the integrity of Canadian passports.

The Passport Program uses documents issued by other governmental issuing authorities to determine identity.

General applications (that is, first time adult applicants, child applications) must meet very specific conditions in order to be processed and printed, such as:

• authentication of identity to establish acceptable passport history
• additional verifications
• additional documents requested (that is custody documents)

The majority of applications received are for first time adult and child applicants.

Employees are trained to identify fraudulent documents and are provided with information on known and emerging threats to the integrity and security of the Canadian passport.

Processes are in place for employees to inform Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada of any suspicious patterns or irregularities they may come across in the course of their daily duties.

When evidence of suspected fraudulent activity is found or reported, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada launches an investigation which may result in passport refusal and/or revocation.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also cooperates with law enforcement and in criminal investigations involving the submission of fraudulent applications and documents.

In cases of suspected or confirmed fraud as part of a Canadian passport application, Service Canada provides support and information to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada who is the lead on administrative investigations.

In calendar year 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 1,134 refusals and 1,110 revocations.

In calendar year 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 1,928 refusals and 1,331 revocations.

Service Canada, in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, continuously works to review and improve processes to ensure passport misuse and/or entitlement fraud does not occur.

Issue

Actions taken by Service Canada since the summer and into the winter to improve passport services to Canadians.

Background

Over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of passport applications was relatively low, due to a reduction in travel following the imposition of public health restrictions and travel advisories.

As international travel restrictions eased, demand for passport services has resulted in an increase of applications since the beginning of the calendar year.

A combination of factors contributed to a backlog of passport applications, causing delays.

Since April 2022, Service Canada has put a number of measures in place to make it easier for Canadians to access passport services, and to improve processing.

Key facts

Almost 1.4M passports were issued to Canadians from October 2022 to January 2023 alone.

As of February 5, 2023, over 2.6M passports were issued since April 1, 2022.

• The backlog has been virtually eliminated, a decrease of 99% since mid-summer (as of February 5, 2023).
• Since October 3, 2022, all passport applications received, both in person (10 day service) and by mail (20-day service), have been processed within pre-pandemic service standards.
  • As of the week of January 30th, 2023, for files received post October 3, 2022:
    • In-person (10 business days) passport performance is 99.2%
    • Mail-in (20 business days) is 98.2%
• Transfers have decreased by 92% since June 2022 (from 10,014 to 823).

Since the beginning of summer, the weekly passport production rate has more than doubled.

The passport operational workforce has grown to over 2,600 employees now providing passport services.

A weekly average of 6,400 overtime hours were worked between June 2022 and January 2023.

Key messages

Throughout Service Canada's response to the Passport application backlog, the Department has taken several actions to help stabilize the program:

• Ensured anyone with travel plans received their passports.
• Passport applications submitted since October 3, 2022 have been processed within published service standards.
• Increased the passport operational workforce to over 2,600 up by over 50% since April 2022.
• Increased the number of hours worked with a weekly average of 6,400 hours of overtime between June 2022 and January 2023 to help get passports in the hands of Canadians.
• Promoted and informed clients of available service to request their application be prioritized and transferred to an office for pick-up due to upcoming travel.
• We implemented simplified processing to replace expired passports (up to 15 years) as renewals rather than new applications.
• We have continuously been updating the Improving Passport Processing website with up-to-date statistics and wait times.
• We have increased access to passports with additional Service Canada Centres offering 10-day service. As of February 5, 2023, 13 SCCs are offering this service on top of the 36 Specialized Passport Service offices and consolidated sites.
• We have also expanded the delivery of passport services to 166 scheduled outreach sites to help meet the passport needs of rural and remote communities. Since July 1, 2022, 1633 passport applications have been received at Scheduled Outreach sites. In addition, staff have also conducted 25 Outreach Passport Clinics to 1085 individuals.

As a result, passport processing times have returned to pre-pandemic performance targets and In-Person services are more reflective of a pre-COVID experience where line-ups are manageable.

Issue

High application volumes, combined with staff limitation due to the health and safety measures in place in the spring 2022, led to a build-up of inventory that exceeded our capacity to process applications within standard.

Background

Over the course of the pandemic, 3 million Canadians did not renew or apply for a passport.

Service Canada delivery was based on an initial forecast of 2.4M applications for this fiscal year before the pandemic. The forecast was adjusted to 3.5M in October 2021, and 4.3M in April 2022 to include the delayed applications from pandemic years. 

With the easing of travel restrictions in the spring, Service Canada experienced high volumes in passport applications across the country. Spring volumes were over 16% higher than originally projected and the increase continued through the summer and fall.

These applications were submitted in an unprecedented proportion by mail; nearly double the pre-pandemic proportion.

Mail applications are approximately 40% less efficient to process compared to applications submitted In-Person.

As Canadians started to apply/ re-apply for passports, operations at both Service Canada Centres and Passport Processing Centres remained constrained with staff limited to 30-50% capacity onsite due to various public health and safety measures in place until mid-May.

Less than 20% of applications submitted were simple renewals. The majority are first-time adult and children's applications and require a fully trained passport officer to process.

These combined factors contributed to a backlog of passport applications that were processed outside of the service standards throughout the Summer and Fall 2022.

Beginning on October 3, 2022, dedicated staff worked specifically on reducing the inventory, while the remainder worked on processing new passport applications within service standards.

Key facts

As of February 5th, 2023, there are less than 2,400 applications in the backlog.

The backlog has decreased by 99% since mid summer. At its peak, the backlog stood at just over 317,000 applications.

Since April 1, 2022:

• almost 2.75M applications have been received
• over 2.6M passports have been issued
• almost 1.13M Canadians have been served at passport offices, and
• almost 15.5M calls have been received at the Passport Call Centre

Key messages

Significant work has been done to eliminate the application backlog. Since the peak in August 2022, approximately 99% of these applications have been processed and the backlog has been virtually eliminated.

Since October 3, 2022, all passport applications received, both in person and by mail, have been processed within pre-pandemic service standards.

Service Canada significantly increased the passport operational workforce, with over 2,600 employees now providing passport services.

Service Canada implemented a dedicated team focused on processing the backlog of applications.

While the backlog has been essentially eliminated, clients who applied more than 20 days ago can contact the Passport Call Centre or visit a Service Canada Centre to request a file transfer so that their passport can be processed in time for their travel.

Context

Since October 3, 2022, all passport applications received, both in person and by mail, have been processed within pre-pandemic service standards. As of mid-January 2023, the backlog of applications has been virtually eliminated.

Background

Over the course of the pandemic, 3 million Canadians did not renew or apply for a passport.

Service Canada delivery was based on an initial forecast of 2.4M applications for this fiscal year before the pandemic. The forecast was adjusted to 3.5M in October 2021, and 4.3M in April 2022 to include the delayed applications from pandemic years.

With the easing of travel restrictions in the Spring, Service Canada experienced high volumes in passport applications across the country.

These applications were submitted in an unprecedented proportion by mail, which take longer to process.

As Canadians started to apply/re-apply for passports, operations at both Service Canada Centres and processing centres remained constrained with staff limited to 30-50% capacity onsite due to various public health and safety measures.

The high application volume, combined with the health and safety measures in place, led to the build-up of inventory that exceeded our capacity to process within standard.

Less than 20% of these applications received were simple renewals. The majority were first time adult and children applications.

Beginning on October 3, 2022, a dedicated group worked specifically on reducing the backlog, while the remainder worked on processing new passport applications within service standards.

Throughout the peak of the backlog, clients with upcoming travel were prioritized.

To address the backlog, significant efforts were made to increase capacity by:

• hiring new employees, and upskilling existing staff, specifically to support the processing of passport applications
• opening more intake counters
• adding processing hubs
• extending office hours and
• creating new workload management strategies

Key facts

Travel limits imposed during COVID-19 resulted in an 80% decrease in demand for passport services when compared to pre-pandemic volumes.

From April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, Service Canada issued 363K passports.

From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, Service Canada issued 1.3M passports.

During March and April 2022, Service Canada received almost half a million applications.

From April 1, 2022, to February 5th, 2023, Service Canada received almost 2.75M applications and issued over 2.6M passports.

For the month of January 2023, Service Canada received almost 372K applications, and issued over 357K passports.

Since August 2022, Service Canada saw a reduction in its total inventory of approximately 316K applications.

Service Standards published online stipulate that the target is to process 90% of submitted applications within 10 business for in-person offices, and 20 business days for applications submitted by mail or at a Service Canada Centre.

Key messages

Service Canada introduced a variety of new measures to improve passport service delivery and decrease wait times for Canadians while continuing to process the inventory of applications.

Although processing times were longer than pre-pandemic, as of February 5th, 2023, for applications received after October 3, 2022, 95% of Canadians who apply for passports via the mail channels receive their passports within 20 business days. 98% who apply in-person at a specialized passport office currently receive their passports under 10 business days.

Processing times are clearly communicated to clients on the passport website to assist them with determining when and where to submit their application.

While the backlog has been essentially eliminated, clients who applied more than 20 days ago can contact the Passport Call Centre or visit a Service Canada Centre to request a file transfer so that their passport can be processed in time for their travel.

Context

Passport Call Centre volumes have significantly improved since spring 2022.

Background

Throughout the Spring and Summer, the increase in passport demand combined with the longer processing times resulted in a growing number of Canadians requiring assistance from the passport call centre.

Service Canada took several measures to address the high call centre volumes including:

• shifting the Interactive Voice Response system to ensure all callers receive all access options
• modifying queue technology to eliminate the automatic drop from the queue & ensure no maximum time in queue
• call centre agents work until queues are cleared
• ensuring equitable access in all time zones

Key facts

Calls received have reduced from 1.36 million calls per week in June to approximately 36,700, calls for the week of January 30 to February 5, which equates to a 97% decrease in call volume.

The average wait time at passport call centres has also improved, going from a peak of 108 minutes in April, to under 1 minute for the week of January 30 to February 5 - a reduction of 99%.

Total call centre workforce increased from over 160 agents in May to more than 240 at the end of January, an increase of approximately 50%. This includes agents in the 1 800 O-Canada call centre that also responded to enquiries.

Key messages

As a result of the actions taken and continued efforts to improve passport services to Canadians, Passport Call Centre volumes and wait times have significantly decreased from their peak in spring.

Service Canada enhanced the phone system and introduced the Interactive Voice Response system.

In order to better support MP offices, provide them with a more consistent service experience and reallocate passport operational resources to address the surge, the MP phone line was migrated to the Regional Enquiries Units, which have been enabled to provide passport support.

Changes made to the passport call centre have improved access to the 1 800 O-Canada line.

Issue

The first of the passports with 10-year expiry, issued in 2013, begin to require renewal in the 2023 to 24 fiscal year.

Background

Beginning in July 2013, Canadians were given a choice between a 5-year validity passport and a 10-year validity passport.

• These 10-year passports will begin to require renewal later this year
• This will be occurring as Service Canada moves into the seasonal winter surge and with the passport application backlog being virtually eliminated

Service Canada has taken several actions to improve passport services to Canadians:  

• Increased the operational passport workforce to over 2,600  
• Launched an appointment-booking tool that directs clients to the right location for service while continuously updating the Improving Passport Processing website with up-to-date statistics and wait times
• Implemented a triage system in metropolitan areas where required
• Promoted and informed clients of available service to request their application be prioritized and transferred to an office for pick-up due to upcoming travel 
• Implemented simplified processing to replace expired passports (up to 15 years) as renewals rather than new applications 
• Increased access to passport services, with the addition of 13 Service Canada Centres offering 10-day service
• We have expanded the delivery of passport services to select scheduled outreach sites to help meet the passport needs of rural and remote communities

Because of the measures taken, the backlog has been virtually eliminated.

• An outstanding total of approx. 2,400 of these older applications remain within Service Canada's active workload inventory
• Service Canada has assessed these remaining complex files and is working diligently to complete the review and identify the appropriate outcome and ensure passport integrity

These efforts will ensure that Service Canada will be well prepared for the volume increases associated with the first 10-year passport renewals in 2023.

Key facts

Service Canada expects to receive between 4.3 and 5.04 million passport applications during the 2023 to 24 fiscal year.

• Of these, 1.95M are renewals

In 2018, trend analysis demonstrated that 87.4% of adults were choosing the ten-year validity option.

In-person services are now more reflective of a pre-COVID experience where line-ups are manageable and passports are delivered within service standards.

• 98% of Canadians who apply in-person at a specialized passport office currently receive their passports in less than 10 business days
• For applications received by mail or at a Service Canada Centre, the 20-day service standard is being met 95% of the time

A "Winter Strategy" was developed to protect the health and safety of clients by ensuring they do not have to wait outside in the elements during the cold winter months.

• As required, Service Canada staff implement operational solutions to manage line ups based on a variety of factors such as office configuration, site capacity and physical location
• Service Canada points of service that see long line-ups are implementing a variety of mitigation strategies, including the procurement of additional indoor space to accommodate clients

Key messages

Winter strategies are in place to deal with line-ups in cold winter months.

Over the past 10 months, Service Canada has made significant strides in restoring to Canadians access to timely and efficient passport services.

At its peak in August 2022, the backlog of passport applications stood at more than 300,000. Thanks to new, dedicated resources and active workload management, almost all of these applications have been processed and the backlog has been effectively eliminated.

• The elimination of the backlog frees up resources, as Service Canada experiences less call centre traffic, transfers and urgent requests
• These resources can now focus on incoming volumes

Thanks to additional staffing, overtime, and improved efficiency, since October 3, 2022, newly received passport applications have been processed within the normal service standard.

Efforts and resources deployed to manage the increase in passport applications in 2022 are now focused on maintaining service standards and anticipating growth in application volumes as 10-year validity passports, which were first issued in summer 2013, become eligible for renewal later this year.

Issue

Since October 3, 2022, all passport applications received, both in person and by mail, have been processed within pre-pandemic service standards.

Background

Over the course of the pandemic, 3 million Canadians did not renew or apply for a passport.

Service Canada delivery was based on an initial forecast of 2.4M applications for this fiscal year before the pandemic. The forecast was adjusted to 3.5M in October 2021, and 4.3M in April 2022 to include the delayed applications from pandemic years.

With the easing of travel restrictions in the spring, Service Canada experienced high volumes in passport applications across the country. Spring volumes were over 16% higher than originally projected and the increase continued through the summer and fall.

These applications were submitted in an unprecedented proportion by mail, which take longer to process.

As Canadians started to apply/re-apply for passports, operations at both service centres and processing centres remained constrained with staff limited to 30-50% capacity onsite due to various public health and safety measures in place until mid-May.

The high application volume, combined with the health and safety measures in place, led to a build-up of inventory that exceeded our capacity to process within standard.

Less than 20% of these applications were simple renewals. The majority were first time adult applications and children's files.

Throughout the peak of the backlog, clients with upcoming travel were being prioritized.

Key facts

Travel limits imposed during COVID-19 resulted in an 80% decrease in demand for passport services when compared to pre-pandemic volumes.

From April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, Service Canada issued 363K passports.

From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, Service Canada issued 1.3M passports issued.

During March and April 2022, Service Canada received almost half a million applications.

From April 1, 2022 – February 5th, 2023, Service Canada received almost 2.75M applications and issued over 2.6M passports.

Published service standards state that the target is to process 90% within 10 business days for applications submitted as passport offices, and 20 business days for applications submitted by mail or at Service Canada Centres

Key messages

Service Canada introduced a variety of new measures to improve passport service delivery and decrease wait times for Canadians while continuing to process the inventory of applications.

Although processing times were longer than prior to the pandemic, as of February 5th, 2023, 98% of Canadians who apply for passports via the mail channels currently receive their passports within 20 business days. 99% who apply in-person at a specialized passport office currently receive their passports under 10 business days.

As of the end of January 2023, the backlog of applications has been virtually eliminated.

While the backlog has been essentially eliminated, clients who applied more than 20 days ago can contact the Passport Call Centre or visit a Service Canada Centre to request a file transfer so that their passport can be processed in time for their travel.

Issue

Data on the expansion of expedited services

Background

The Passport Expedited Service Expansion objective is to expand the pick up service available within the Service Canada network, thus improving the client experience by offering intake and pick up at a location closer to home.

To ensure a balanced approach to selecting sites across the country, 100 municipalities (including existing expedited service sites) were assessed against evenly weighted criteria (access, passport demand, population growth, reach, business continuity). With a focus on improving access to Canadians in all parts of the country, top rated sites in each region were proposed for the expansion of passport-expedited services in the network.

Key facts

The sites below now offer 10 day pick up services:

• 10 day pick up service added to 5 SCC-PS sites on July 25th:
  • Brampton, ON
  • Whitby, ON
  • Pointe-Claire, QC
  • Calgary South, AB
  • Richmond, BC
• 10 day pick up and mail service added to 4 SCCs on August 15th:
  • Charlottetown, PE
  • Sault Ste. Marie, ON
  • Trois-Rivières, QC
  • Red Deer, AB
• 10 day pick up and mail service added to 4 SCCs on September 7th:
  • Kingston, ON
  • Sudbury, ON
  • Sherbrooke, QC
  • Lethbridge, AB
• 10 day pick up and mail service added to 4 SCCs on September 23rd:
  • Moncton, NB
  • Rimouski, QC
  • Whitehorse, YT
  •  Fort McMurray, AB
• 10 day pick up and mail service added to 1 SCC on October 5th:
  • Barrie, ON

These sites have seen an increase in client volumes and experience seasonal peaks in demand for passport services. Line management strategies continue to be implemented across the Citizen Services Network as needed.

Key messages

To date, 65,736 files have been created and 61,495 files have been completed with the 10-day services offered at selected SCC offices.

Since its implementation, 10-day services are meeting 96.25% of their service standards.

Plans are currently being developed to introduce a 10-day service at another 25 key Service Canada Centres between April 2023 and March 2024. Prince George, BC will be introduced in April 2023.

Issue

Throughout the spring and summer, the significant demand for passport services exceeded operational capacity.

Background

Over the course of the pandemic, 3 million Canadians did not renew or apply for a passport.

Service Canada passport service delivery was initially based on a forecast of 2.4M applications for fiscal year 2022 to 23 before the pandemic. The forecast was adjusted to 3.5M in October 2021 and 4.3M in April 2022 to include the delayed applications from pandemic years.

With the easing of travel restrictions in the spring, Service Canada experienced high volumes in passport applications across the country. Spring/summer volumes were over 16% higher than originally projected and the increase continued through the summer and fall.

These applications were submitted in an unprecedented proportion by mail, which take longer to process.

As Canadians started to apply/ re-apply for passports, operations at both service centres and processing centres remained constrained with staff limited to 30-50% capacity onsite due to various public health and safety measures.

The high application volume, combined with the health and safety measures in place, led to the build-up of inventory that exceeded our capacity to process within standard.

Significant efforts were made to increase capacity by:

• hiring new employees specifically to support the processing of passport applications
• opening more intake counters
• adding processing hubs
• extending office hours and
• creating new workload management strategies

Current forecast assumptions indicate that the passport program is likely to experience high volumes as delayed applications from the pandemic coincide with the ten-year passport renewal cycle beginning in 2023.

Key facts

As of February 5, 2023, the total operational workforce (Passport Officers, Citizen Service Officers processing applications, Call Centre employees, Team Leaders and Managers) is now over 2,600 employees. 

Since July 2022, we have hired almost 1,600 new employees (those in the operational workforce as well as support services).

Call Centre agent capacity has also increased by approximately 50% since May 2022.

As of February 5, 2023, over 730 ESDC/Service Canada employees from other business lines have provided support to passport program delivery in some capacity (full-time, part-time, overtime, etc.).

Production of passports continues to increase with over 2.6M issued since April 2022.

Key messages

The passport operational workforce has more than doubled since July 2021.

We are continually hiring employees and aligning our training strategy, for both new and existing employees, to the current workload.

Service Canada continues to streamline processes and improve technology to help stabilize the program and to prepare for future increases in volume.

Service Canada's progress on increasing resources and streamlining processes for passport processing will ensure its capacity to provide efficient and timely service to clients as we move into 2023.

Issue

Not applicable.

Background

Not applicable.

Key facts

Since April 2022, there have been 1391* new passport employee (April 2022 to April 3rd, 2023) hires.

A 19.9% departure rate was also seen for the same period for passport employees.

Since April 2022, Service Canada has trained 1,713 employees for various Passport courses.

• Intake and simple entitlement (Adult and Renewal): 1114
• Intake and Simple Entitlement (Children): 435
• Intake and Simple Entitlement (Renewal only): 164

In addition, approximately 1,033 employees have completed training (Passport Officer Course) and certified as fully qualified to process all types of application. This represents an increase of 836 people since the last update.

Key messages

Specifically for Passport services, their workforce has significantly increased, close to 23.7%, from April 2022 to April 2023.

Furthermore, the vast majority of these new employees were successfully trained or are undergoing the required training to support Passport activities.

*Source: Peoplesoft, April 2023

**Source: SABA - ESDC's Learning Management System of Record

There may be additional completions tracked regionally that have not been captured in the presented figures.

Issue

Throughout the spring and summer, increased demand experienced by the passport program caused significant client traffic at Service Canada Centres. This resulted lineups, longer wait times, and concerns related to the accessibility of other programs and services overseen by the Department.

Background

At the start of the pandemic, Service Canada acted quickly to support Canadians by introducing eServiceCanada, the Outreach Support Centre (OSC) and eSIN. This ensured continued delivery of critical services while protecting the health and safety of clients and employees.

eServiceCanada mirrors the services typically available at Service Canada Centres (SCCs). Through eServiceCanada, clients are able to visit the Service Canada website and fill out a form to request a call back for service from a Service Canada employee within two business days.

The Outreach Support Centre provides support to clients who would normally be served through in-person outreach. This toll-free phone service provides direct, personalized support to Indigenous communities and other clients facing barriers to service.

eSIN allows clients to obtain a Social Insurance Number through an online application, without the need to bring supporting documentation to the Service Canada Centre.

Key facts

The vast majority of Service Canada Centres have adequate capacity to serve clients in a timely manner. Rural and remote SCCs are seeing few to no lineups.

• Approximately 2 SCC, and 2 SCC-PS are reporting lineups of +30 clients and wait times that are 2 hours or greater (as of February 1st)

Our service standard is that 80% of clients are served within 25 minutes.

• As of February 5, 2023, 79.26% of clients were served within 25 minutes
• In 2019-2020, 84% of clients were served within 25 minutes

Outreach clinics offer tailored service outside of a SCC, such as SIN support for post secondary students, Afghan/Ukrainian newcomers, and Temporary Foreign Workers.

• 1,765 outreach clinics have helped almost 57,612 participants access services outside of SCCs (April 1, 2022, to February 3, 2023)

eServiceCanada is a convenient service that allows clients to access support for the Social Insurance Number (SIN), pensions, and Employment Insurance programs without having to visit a Service Canada Centre.

• Over 5.48M* clients have used this service since March 2020

The Outreach Support Centre provides vulnerable clients with a responsive and supportive mechanism to accessing service over the phone (toll-free)

• 89,416* clients have accessed service through this channel since April 2020

eSIN allows clients to obtain a Social Insurance Number through an online application.

• Almost 2.28M* clients have been served via eSIN since April 2020

SIN@Landing is available to provide a Social Insurance Number for newcomers, temporary and permanent residents, including Temporary Foreign Workers and international students upon arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

*as of February 5, 2023

Key messages

Service Canada is committed to ensuring timely access to service.

Clients can access programs and services online, over the phone, or in-person.

Online services including My Service Canada Account, eServiceCanada and eSIN are a convenient way to access programs and services.

Background

The below information is regularly updated to provide a picture of ESDC and Service Canada workforce. 

Key facts

As of April 2023, Service Canada has 31,649 employees (includes employees of all employment tenures).

Data on ESDC and Service Canada workforces by Calendar Year is as follows:

Key messages

The ESDC and Service Canada workforces have both grown by close to 23% from December 2021 to April 2023.

Service Canada also grew at a proportional rate to ESDC when comparing growth for the past years.

As of April 2023, both ESDC and Service Canada have seen a small decrease of their workforce.

*Source: Peoplesoft, April 2023

Issue

Order paper question 593 that was tabled on September 20, 2022, that led to an emerging story about $11 million in bonuses paid within Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Background

Executives earn performance pay, which reflects their level of achievement of objectives and their demonstration of key leadership competencies in a given year.

Performance pay has 2 components which must be earned every year:

• At-risk pay – calculated as a percentage of salary; based on the extent to which performance commitments were achieved
• Bonus – calculated as a percentage of salary and only awarded for truly exceptional performance

EX Bonuses

Performance pay and bonuses paid to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Executives (including Service Canada) for the 2020 to 2021 cycle.

• For the 2020 to 2021 performance cycle (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021) a total of 585 ESDC executives received performance pay. Under ESDC's authority, a total amount of $10,118,891 was paid to executives ($194K to Passport Executives)

Performance pay and bonuses paid to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Executives (including Service Canada) for the 2021 to 22 cycle.

• For the 2021 to 2022 performance cycle (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022), a total of 633 ESDC executives received performance pay. Under ESDC's authority, a total amount of $10,248,350 in performance pay and bonuses were paid to executives ($170K to Passport Executives)

Performance pay and bonuses paid to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Executives (including Service Canada) for the 2022 to 23 cycle

• For the 2022 to 2023 performance cycle (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023) information is not available as the 2022 to 2023 performance cycle is still ongoing

Issue

ESDC/Service Canada terminated the employment of departmental employees upon finding that they had misrepresented their circumstances in order to obtain COVID-19 Emergency Benefits to which they were not eligible.

Background

As part of its mandate to develop and implement a modern, resilient, secure and reliable service and benefit delivery system for Canadians, ESDC/Service Canada continues to strengthen and enhance its controls mechanisms to prevent, detect and address fraud, error and abuse. To preserve the integrity of the program and maintain the trust of Canadians, ESDC/Service Canada promotes early detection and resolution.

ESDC/Service Canada remains committed to the protection of its information holdings, its assets and people, including from insider risks and in times of crisis that entail higher risk.

Due to the urgency in getting money in the hands of eligible Canadians as quickly as possible, the rollout of COVID-19 Emergency Benefits programs provided for post payment rather than pre payment eligibility verification, thus increasing the potential for fraud, error and abuse. However, the questions were in plain language, with "Yes/No" answers, requiring the applicant answer "Yes" to all to be eligible and certify to the truthfulness of their answers.

The Minister of Employment and Social Development is responsible for COVID-19 Emergency Benefit Programs, as per the applicable Acts. Departmental employees are expected to support ministers in their responsibilities.

Every day, ESDC/Service Canada provides numerous services and benefits to Canadians in accordance with the provisions of various Acts governing those services and benefits. In general, departmental employees have better knowledge and a greater understanding of eligibility requirements than the ordinary applicants.

Key facts

While conducting internal investigations pertaining to other allegations, ESDC/Service Canada discovered that some departmental employees were in receipt of COVID-19 Emergency Benefits while continuing to receive their full pay from employment with the department.

Pursuant to the Departement of Employment and Social Development Act, ESDC/Service Canada compared data from its human resources and pay systems with COVID-19 Emergency Benefits program data to identify employees who received benefit payments as well as pay from employment with the department for the same periods.

ESDC/Service Canada conducted internal investigations and, in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat's Standard on Security Screening, reviewed the reliability status of employees who misrepresented their circumstances in order to obtain COVID-19 Emergency Benefits to which they were not eligible.

As of January 12, 2023, 49 employees have been terminated following the administrative investigations of their Security status where the employees in question were receiving their pay from employment with the Department and claimed emergency benefits. As of January 12, 2023, eight other administrative investigations are still ongoing. Neither managers nor executives were found to have misrepresented themselves.

Recoveries of ineligible payments occur following the completion of the investigative process. Employees that misrepresented themselves have been terminated. Whomever is deemed ineligible will have to pay back the benefits.

Key messages

Protecting the integrity of its programs and departmental information holdings, its assets and people is of the utmost importance and requires that ESDC/Service Canada maintains rigorous security practices, including taking proactive measures against the risks posed by departmental employees.

ESDC/Service Canada actively promotes a strong ethical culture by providing all employees with resources, tools, training, communications, and support on values and ethics. They are required to complete a training curriculum within the first year of their employment that includes courses on the Value and Ethics Code for the Public Sector as well as the ESDC Code of Conduct. This also includes a cyclical requirement to recertify specific training, such as the Stewardship of Information and Workplace Behaviours training.

In addition to active monitoring programs, such as access monitoring of Program databases, ESDC has in place a robust system to report security breaches as well as alleged wrongdoing. This includes internal communications portal, education and outreach products, as well as reporting tools.

Potential breaches of the ESDC Code of Conduct, particularly those that present a possible security risk, are investigated by the Internal Integrity and Security Directorate. In addition to an administrative investigation, a review for cause of the employee's security status may be conducted.

In all 49 cases, ESDC/Service Canada's Chief Security Officer found that the employee misrepresented their circumstances in order to obtain COVID-19 Emergency Benefits they were not eligible to receive. In doing so, they lost the employers trust and were terminated as they no longer met their terms of employment by their security status being revoked.

Issue

What is ESDC doing to ensure the proactively monitor and detect unusual or suspicious activity of departmental systems and ensure the integrity of benefit programs and services delivered to Canadians?

Key facts

As part of the Department's internal integrity measures, it was determined that 49 ESDC employees had claimed the CERB payment.

As a result, those employees had their security status revoked and their employment terminated.

Response

ESDC/Service Canada has robust controls and mechanisms in place that actively monitor and identify potential cases of error, fraud or abuse in our systems.

Employees of ESDC not respecting the ESDC Code of Conduct may face administrative and/or disciplinary measures, up to and including termination of employment.

During the investigation, these 49 employees were found to have breached the Code, and as a result, had their reliability status revoked and their employment terminated with ESDC/Service Canada.

These measures support the sound stewardship of public funds.

If pressed (Subject) 

Protecting the integrity of programs, their use and departmental information is of the utmost importance and requires that ESDC maintain rigorous security practices, including taking proactive measures against the risks that employees of the ministry may pose. That being said, all employees who took advantage of CERB were terminated because they broke the employer's trust in them and no longer meet their terms of employment.

ESDC is committed to upholding the public's confidence in the integrity of the federal public sector, which is essential to Canada's well-being.

Employees abide by the ESDC Code of Conduct (Code), which is a condition of employment and outlines the requirements of departmental employees to act professionally and uphold the core public sector values in their daily work.

The Department actively promotes a strong ethical culture by providing all employees with resources, tools, training, communications, and support on values and ethics.

ESDC takes the findings of its internal investigation very seriously and has taken action to recover ineligible payments. These employees will be required to pay back the funds, just as any other Canadian found to be ineligible to receive the emergency benefits.

Background

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada remained committed to ensuring that Canadians be provided with the financial supports and services they needed as quickly as possible to get through this difficult time.

We know that in times of crisis, the risk of fraud is heightened. ESDC has robust data analytics capabilities that have been actively monitoring and identifying cases of potential fraud in our systems since the launch of the CERB.

ESDC implemented several initiatives and measures to review the situation and identify irregularities.

As a result, it was ascertained that certain employees received the CERB that were not eligible.

All employees who took advantage of CERB were terminated because they broke the employer's trust in them and no longer meet their terms of employment.

Key quotes

Not applicable