NEWS RELEASES

March 30, 2004 (4:10 p.m. EST) No. 49

PASSPORT OFFICE RESPONDS TO AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today issued the following comments in reference to the Passport Office's response to the Report of the Auditor General on the National Security Enhancement Initiative.

"The Auditor General's observations are constructive and will contribute to the government's ongoing efforts to close security gaps and ensure that our citizens are protected," said Minister Graham. "I am pleased to report that the Passport Office has already instituted procedures to address the Auditor General's concerns."

In her report, the Auditor General states that information about Canadian passports that are lost or stolen each year is not available to front-line officers. Minister Graham noted that, as of February 2004, the Passport Office has been entering lost or stolen passport data directly into the RCMP's Canadian Police Information Centre database. This procedure allows law enforcement officials and authorized government departments and agencies to have immediate access to the data at all times. An agreement currently in its final stages will also allow this information to be shared with front-line officers from the Canadian Border Services Agency, who will use it to verify travel documents presented for entry into Canada.

"Protecting each Canadian against the criminal use of his or her personal identity is fundamental to our shared security," said Minister Graham. "The Passport Office is taking steps to maintain the integrity of the Canadian passport and, in doing so, to see that the sharing of personal data is done only in ways that will protect the privacy of our citizens."

The Passport Office is a special operating agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Its mission is to facilitate travel for Canadians by delivering internationally respected travel documents that meet the highest security standards in the world.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Isabelle Savard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Suzanne Meunier
Acting Chief
Media Relations and Parliamentary Affairs
Passport Office
(819) 934-3837