Trudeau gov’t QUIETLY polls on DRACONIAN ‘national passport’

A prior committee report warned unsuspecting Canadians could be indiscriminately stopped in the streets by law enforcement for proof of their identity.

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   February 10, 2025   |   News Analysis   |   2 Comments

 

 

The Department of Immigration confidentially polled Canadians on the use of mandatory “digital credentials” within the country, prompting concerns on privacy rights.

The Advanis poll asked, “How comfortable would you be sharing a secure digital version of the passport within Canada as an identity document?” Canadians and their elected officials rejected the national ID system as intrusive and costly.

A 2003 Commons immigration committee warned the $5 billion implementation costs and potential for abuse were major detractors, reported Blacklock’s. An even earlier proposal to use SIN as ID was also discarded by Parliament.

Then-Immigration Minister Denis Coderre championed a national ID card to enhance post-9/11 security measures. “While the new focus on a positive proof of identity is partially rooted in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, other forces are at play,” he testified at 2003 hearings.

A prior committee report warned unsuspecting Canadians could be indiscriminately stopped in the streets by law enforcement for proof of their identity.

“A national ID card is simply a tool that permits the bearer to prove with a high degree of certainty that they are who they are,” said Coderre. 

Then-Privacy Commissioner Robert Marleau claimed a national ID poses a “significant privacy issue” for Canadians, noting it would require “an elaborate and complex national identity system with database, communications networks, card readers, millions of identification cards and polices and procedures.”

“The debate has to be about more than just cards,” he said at the time.

More than two decades later, many peoples' attitudes toward the idea remain consistent, especially those Canadians “who may already be somewhat distrustful of public institutions.”

Respondents feared their daily life would feel “far more restricted” in granting one department or agency widespread use of this technology. 

Others said “digital credentials” would leave their identities susceptible to hackers in the event their device was lost or stolen. “Identity theft is seen as a serious and growing problem in Canada,” Coderre acknowledged.

Recent federal records show the Trudeau government quietly spent $6.4 million on digital ID programs that fell through, reported Blacklock’s.

Among the programs include use by pensioners, EI claimants and tax filers, with a prior notice a need for “fast and efficient delivery of government services.”

Cabinet later clarified there are “no plans” to introduce a federally-issued digital ID.

An October 30, 2024 briefing note, Digital Credentials Issue And Verify Request For Information, says any federal use of “digital credentials” would be on an optional basis for security reasons, in part.

That counters a prior notice that compared “digital credentials” to Social Insurance Numbers, a mandatory form of federally-regulated ID.

“The Government of Canada is dedicated to the security and privacy of Canadians and the service will be built with this in mind,” it reads, without prior parliamentary debate.

Canadians, meanwhile, are skeptical of other forms of digital ID, including digital currency, citing the risks of abuse and financial implications. 

Despite this hesitation, the Bank of Canada filed Trademarks Act applications last December to claim ownership of a digital Canadian dollar.

The central bank reassured Canadians that “cash isn’t going anywhere” and that any decision to implement a digital dollar “belongs to Canadians through their representatives in Parliament.”

A 2020 Cash Alternative Survey said the typical Canadian carries $70 in their wallet, mainly $5 and $10 bills, and keeps roughly $185 in their vehicle glove box or dresser drawer.

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Alex Dhaliwal

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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-02-10 21:31:49 -0500
    Straight out of China comes digital ID and national ID cards. Aren’t driver’s licenses enough? Aren’t provincial ID cards or ones issued by the CNIB for blind folks enough? No, these commies want to micromanage every single aspect of our lives. We are a free people and we don’t want or need a Social Credit system like China has. So always fight for your freedom.
  • Bernhard Jatzezck
    commented 2025-02-10 20:33:30 -0500
    A digital ID is a fond dream of the Liberals.

    Oddly enough, I recall getting strange looks at an election polling station a number of years ago when I showed my pocket citizenship card. So much for the sentiment behind “civis Romanus sum”.