Bright new Day on Identity in Canada

Eventually it was going to happen. The new Conservative government would weigh in on the on-again off-again national identity discussion. This past week the public safety minister, Stockwell Day, did just that as reported on CTV.ca here. A couple things to think about here:

First, his assessment comes in the wake of a meeting with the US Homeland Security Secretary. The context of that meeting, it should be understood, is wound licking. Don't mean to be off-putting, but the newly elected Conservatives want to kiss and make up with the States, and will do it by acquiescence by and large. So be it. Just understand that international politics are at work as much or more than any safety considerations. Moreover, it hasn't gone through the gauntlet of opposition from civic rights activists, predominantly led by privacy zealots.

Second, look at this quotation:

"I don't know if we'll call it that, but we want good, law-abiding people to have smooth and quick access at all border points - not just North American, but international."

My question is, don't we already have a card or process or international system designed to do just that? Isn't it called the passport program? Why wouldn't we fix and settle on that system - integrating levels of qualification into the passports themselves rather than creating a new identity card?

Unless, of course, it's not just about getting across borders faster and easier . . .

Posted by Grayson at February 20, 2006 07:11 AM | TrackBack