2007 February Status Report of the Auditor General of Canada

5.82 In its annual report, Passport Canada should detail the progress it is making in carrying out the recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts. It should describe its action plans and include target dates for completion and explanations for any variance with previous plans.

Passport Canada has expended a great deal of effort to address the deficiencies identified in the April 2005 Report of the Auditor General. The Agency regards the necessary changes as work in progress; further improvements are planned but take time to implement due to their complexity. Passport Canada agrees to report progress in future annual reports.

The Passport Canada Action Plan, put in place to address the deficiencies outlined in the Auditor General's 2005 Report, outlines specific initiatives and contains target dates for delivery. The plan is reviewed and updated regularly. An updated Action Plan, with target dates and explanations of variance with previous plans, will be included as an appendix in the 2006–07 Annual Report.

For the most part, Passport Canada has addressed the six recommendations of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The two outstanding recommendations relate to the need for more complete reporting in the Annual Report and a review of the Agency's funding arrangement. Progress on these two items will also be reported in the 2006–07 Annual Report.

Canadians can be confident that improvements have been made and will continue to be made to ensure the security and integrity of the Canadian passport.