Hon. Karina Gould, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Thank you, Senator Martin. It’s a really excellent question. It’s a combination. Some of them will be in passport processing centres, for example in Mississauga and Gatineau where the majority of mailed-in passports are processed. Some of them will be in passport offices in the 35 locations across the country. Some of them will be in the 303 Service Canada centres that can now receive passports.

There is certainly an unprecedented surge in demand as Canadians are beginning to travel again after the pandemic and have realized that throughout that time their passport has expired. We do encourage Canadians that if travel is urgent — that’s 25 days or less — go to a passport office. If it’s not urgent — that means 25 days or more — please go to one of the 303 Service Canada centres across the country. They can do the intake in person.

I also want to assure you and all Canadians that we are exploring every option to make this smoother because we know this is a difficult and frustrating experience. We’re working really hard at Service Canada to make sure we can provide a smoother service to Canadians.

[Translation]

Hon. Leo Housakos: Minister, earlier this month the President of the Treasury Board Mona Fortier stated that where the federal public service is concerned, the hybrid work model is here to stay. This decision appears to have been taken by your government without conducting any review into the efficiency and long-term impacts of public servants working from home these past two years, including efficiency such as the service provided to the Canadians and impacts including on the downtown businesses right here in Ottawa that are reliant on government offices being occupied.

While your government says it is conducting a review now, what will be the focus of that study? Will it focus on cost savings? As the Minister of Service Canada, will you confirm it will also look at the level of overall service — or lack thereof — provided to Canadians for things like, for example, passports or the enormous backlog that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is facing? We all know in this country there is a huge shortage of labour.

Will it also look at the devastating effect it will have on the downtown Ottawa business sector? And why wouldn’t that study have been completed prior to making any such decision?