Federal auditors have withheld findings from their latest examination of Canada’s passport program following years of missed service targets, system outages and millions in additional spending to address backlogs.Blacklock's Reporter says the latest Audit Of Passport Delivery Service acknowledged the passport office failed to meet its service standards an average of 13% of the time over the past three years, but redacted portions of its findings.“The program aims to process 90% of applications on time,” auditors wrote. “If it takes more than 30 business days applicants receive a full refund.”The report did not disclose how many passport applicants qualified for refunds or the total amount returned to Canadians.The Department of Social Development manages passport services through Service Canada offices.A December 12, 2024 departmental briefing note, Passport Service Delivery Update, acknowledged “slippage on service standards and increasing processing times.”Service targets were routinely missed despite employees logging approximately 246,000 hours of overtime annually.“Service Canada continued to experience system outages that impacted the intake, processing and print systems,” said the briefing note.“These outages had negative effects on the overall program and impacted performance which resulted in fewer passports being issued to clients.”Another examination, the 2025 Internal Audit Of Governance And Financial Management Of The Passport Revolving Fund, documented what auditors called “confusion” and a “lack of insight” in management of the program.“The entire service delivery model was temporarily disrupted and created significant cash flow issues,” auditors wrote.Managers at one point spent an additional $188.2 million “over and above their initial budget allocation” to deal with the passport backlog.Former Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux cited passport services during 2023 testimony before the Senate national finance committee as an example of increased federal staffing failing to produce the service improvements Canadians expected.“I go back to the passports,” testified Giroux. “We have hired that many hundreds of public servants. Okay, but when will I get my damn passport? That’s the outcome. That’s what we are after.”Giroux questioned how the department would characterize its performance in subsequent reports to Parliament.“I’d be curious to see in the next Departmental Results report what Passport Canada will claim was their achievement,” said Giroux.“I wouldn’t be surprised if they claim some sort of success despite the disaster we’ve seen the last couple of months. There is clear, clear room for enhanced leadership.”.Giroux said problems with federal services extended beyond passports to programs including Employment Insurance and Old Age Security.“I think if you asked anybody who asked recently for a passport, Employment Insurance, Old Age Security and the list goes on, they are probably very well aware the level of service Canadians are getting is not what one could expect from a world class public service,” he said.“There needs to be a crack of the whip big time.”
