Ottawa cuts back on the red tape

Opens one-stop shops for all services The place to go for CPP, EI, passports

Navigating the government’s bureaucratic maze is about to get a lot simpler. The federal government yesterday officially launched Service Canada, a one-stop shop where Canadians can apply for services as varied as passports, employment insurance or sponsoring relatives to immigrate.

“ Canadians should not have to go from one department to the next trying to find the service they need,” Belinda Stronach, the federal minister of human resources and skills development, said as she visited the Service Canada office on Queens Quay W. And in a virtually unheard of step for a government agency, Service Canada will also make house calls.

“ I think Canadians will be surprised to hear we’re coming to them by sending our staff to rural communities one or two days a week or visiting seniors in nursing homes or senior centres to help them get easier access to the services and benefits they need,” Stronach said.

Mobile units will go to remote areas and visit the homes of shut- ins, she said. Some Service Canada offices are already up and running, although not all are yet offering full services. By next year, there will be a total of 600 centres across the country. The system should save about $3 billion over five years because of greater efficiency and automation, Stronach said. When the program is fully up, Canadians will be able to access all government services by visiting an office or using a single website or phone number. The venture will “transform the way government is perceived by citizens,” added Joe Volpe, minister of citizenship and immigration. More information is available at servicecanada. gc. ca or 1- 800O- Canada.