http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/463999
There has been anticipation for this year that an increase of 10 percent in applications for passports and passports being issued. This year 5.2 million passports were applied for. There seems to be a continued increase from year to year in the amount of people applying for passports.
The Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s announced that he has plans for a higher-security electronic passport. He will increase the expiry date to 10 years, which is double of what it is now. This new passport will look very much like the one we have now, except a tamper-resistant microchip will be embedded in it to hold the owner’s personal data.
When traveling to our neighbour just south of us, none other than United States, birth certificates and other documents does not suffice anymore as of last year. A passport will be needed for a Canadian citizen to cross the border.
This all means that there are going to be more restrictive rules on our passport which could mean more limits on our freedom of mobility. However, this does mean higher security of who is entering or leaving our country. Sometimes to protect our society, the government has to put limits on our freedoms such as wearing a seat belt or having a speed limit.
Is this regulation just another one of those in which it limits our freedom but is better for us?
What do you all think about this? Does this change benefit us or does it constrain us some more?
- VL
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2 comments:
Well I think its an obvious decision. Although United States is our neighbour country, it is necessary that passports are needed because it still is an international flight. I do have one question though, why aren't the government asking the citizens to show their passports on national flights? I always bring passports to airports because it feels as though I am rightfully identifying myself and it actually makes the flight feels like a flight. All jokes aside though, the government should make it mandatory to bring passports to even national flights. It's all for the best I think!
I beg to differ. I feel that the honour system should be sufficient. I mean we already purchased our tickets and everything with proper identification. And making flights around Canada shouldn't be a problem. I can understand the paranoia in teh US because of 9-11. But Canada has done pretty much nothing to the rest of the world other than try to maintain peace and support those that fight for peace. So I feel extremely safe in Canada and taking flights in Canada. Granted, Passports are great for identifying everyone but how far do we need to go for proper identification? If we step it up a notch, eventually someone will find a loophole and then bam. square one again. I mean, do we have to get into retinal scans? or fingerprint to identify us? Geez i mean we're just traveling from point A to point B.
-SW
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