Federal Government & Politics II

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I suspect "stumbled across" would be more accurate than "looking".

Probably, but, regardless, this is a personal tragedy of epic proportions. It will get corrected, I'm sure, but, will cost her at least $600, and, in the meantime, she is at risk of deportation, and, is no longer legally entitled to work in Canada. She may very well lose her job. Also, she has a sick relative in the US that she can no longer visit.

These boneheaded bureaucratic decisions made without an ounce of compassion can have very significant real life consequences.

This requires a ministerial intervention!!

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Saying those things to a client while on the job is not allowed in the federal public service. I don't know where you came up with that? I've only heard the first two things at private businesses with a lack of customer service. And why would someone say that last thing to a client??

Are you serious? Look at the response from federal employees being told they have to get their asses to an office…. Three fucking days a week. They don’t say it to clients… ha ha ha it’s all over the media.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Hecate

Are you serious? Look at the response from federal employees being told they have to get their asses to an office…. Three fucking days a week. They don’t say it to clients… ha ha ha it’s all over the media.

Maybe don't say directly to clients

[harls]

Originally Posted by theman23

When I renewed my passport last fall, the only appointment available within the next 3 months was something like 2500 km away in Winnipeg or Thunder Bay.

• Video Link

[lio45]

Originally Posted by theman23

When I renewed my passport last fall, the only appointment available within the next 3 months was something like 2500 km away in Winnipeg or Thunder Bay.

But, as casper says, had JT not doubled the size of the Federal public service, the next appointment available would have been 1 year away and in St. John's, rather than 3 months away and in Winnipeg. Steps in the right direction!

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I'm all for that. They should also be set up to do Indian Status cards.

Indian Status cards? We're in 2024, not in 1824.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by theman23

I'm glad that Service Canada was able to offer you an appointment the next day in Timmins. When I renewed my passport last fall, the only appointment available within the next 3 months was something like 2500 km away in Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. This was well after the Liberals claimed to have "fixed" the problem.

We were able to renew my son's passport last fall with minimal issue. Within a week or two as I recall.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

How many private locations can you take a photo at?

How many Service Canada locations are there?

I suspect the answers to those questions answer your original question.

Give people an option. If you're renewing by mail, get a certified photo taken (as per the current system).

If you're renewing in person, have the passport office take the photo there. Have a camera next to the wicket. Hand in the form, then stand left for your photo. Done.

If the provinces can do it for their drivers licenses, I see no reason why the feds can't do it for passports.

It's an ongoing pattern. Pretty much any service the federal government runs is byzantine, needlessly annoying, and unpleasant. While things run by the Ontario government are much easier to use as a customer/recipient.

I have a friend starting a maple syrup business, and she relayed this tidbit: One step, of course, is to check the regulations on things like food safety, labelling, etc. For Ontario? There was a single web page, written in plain language, made by the provincial government outlining every element of provincial jurisdiction over the issue all with helpful hyperlinks to the relevant source legislation, and a list of phone numbers to call for further clarifications.

The federal government? There's five federal departments involved in some way, none of them explain how the other department is involved (so one could easily start the entire business simply missing one relevant piece of regulatory compliance because the Department of X's material gave one the impression that Department of Y is not involved) none of them have a single reference page explaining how it works, there's no contact info, and if you try to call you get an irritated person telling you "just look at the laws". It's basically designed such that you have to hire a consultant to know what the rules are.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by harls

• Video Link

Or you could just go to Eservices Canada and try booking an appointment with a lower mainland postal code to see for yourself. Looks like things have improved since last fall - they have appointments in Cranbrook now, which is only an 800 Km drive. You can probably do that in a day.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by theman23

Or you could just go to Eservices Canada and try booking an appointment with a lower mainland postal code to see for yourself. Looks like things have improved since last fall - they have appointments in Cranbrook now, which is only an 800 Km drive. You can probably do that in a day.

You know you can just walk in right?

[theman23]

Originally Posted by lio45

But, as casper says, had JT not doubled the size of the Federal public service, the next appointment available would have been 1 year away and in St. John's, rather than 3 months away and in Winnipeg. Steps in the right direction!

Sometimes life seems like a parody. Like I said, right now I can book an appointment in Cranbrook. Maybe if we double the public service once more we might be able to book appointments in the lower mainland.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You know you can just walk in right?

I did, showed up 30 mins before opening an waited 3 hours to be seen. That’s the whole point of the conversation.

[WarrenC12]

Estimated wait time at downtown Vancouver location: 45 mins as of this post.

Source: https://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc...=eng#wait-time

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by theman23

I did, showed up 30 mins before opening an waited 3 hours to be seen. That’s the whole point of the conversation.

You can also just mail in a passport renewal. The point of this conversation is that people who wait last minute are often surprised with bad news.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by lio45

Indian Status cards? We're in 2024, not in 1824.

You are not aware that's at thing? How else do you imagine they get to avoid taxes and receive other benefits?

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You can also just mail in a passport renewal. The point of this conversation is that people who wait last minute are often surprised with bad news.

A month before you leave for a trip isn’t exactly what I’d call last minute. Day before… that’s last minute.

I’m Manitoba it took six weeks for me to get a provincial health card. It is a piece of paper that’s printed with a number on it. What in that process takes six weeks?

Costco can issue a membership in minutes. Passports are not rocket science. Got a sin number, got a Liscence, get it done.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Hecate

Costco can issue a membership in minutes. Passports are not rocket science. Got a sin number, got a Liscence, get it done.

You are really comparing a membership at Costco to a passport?

Flash that Costco card when you fly internationally. It's perfectly valid, man.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by harls

You are really comparing a membership at Costco to a passport?

Flash that Costco card when you fly internationally. It's perfectly valid, man.

Sure, the first passport should take some time to be done properly. Any subsequent renewals should be easier to do.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Sure, the first passport should take some time to be done properly. Any subsequent renewals should be easier to do.

They usually are. Unless you changed your name or something.

I mailed my renewal and got it back in 10 days. Usually the delays are due to bad photos, old passport was mangled, or you didn't fill the form in correctly.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You can also just mail in a passport renewal. The point of this conversation is that people who wait last minute are often surprised with bad news.

You don’t have a passport when you send it in the mail. . For anyone that travels regularly, it’s not really a good option. If there’s anything wrong with the application or the government doesn’t meet its service target (which was and is quite common) you’re stuck in the country until it gets sorted out. Dropping it off in person means you keep your passport if there’s a problem with the application

Theres a defence force for everything. Not a single passport office in the lower mainland has availability for appointments and the situation hasn’t improved in months, but there are posters who think this is Ok? it’s vastly easier to book a renewal for your driver license and ICBC even takes your photo. I was literally in and out in 5 minutes. The passport office is a gong show in comparison.