"Color me impressed with Service Canada- Adele's
birth certificate took 2 days from the online registration to arrival
at my front door via courier. Now THAT is impressive.
Why can't all gov't agencies be that efficient?"
- posted on Facebook by an optimist
Now there is a relevant question. Why can’t all government agencies be that efficient or, at least, sort of in the ballpark? The lack of thinking and motivation that goes into the bureaucratic process at all levels of government is staggering.
In Canada, every citizen has a Social Insurance Number. I was a teenager when the government decided that numbering us was better than simply using our names and I still remember getting my first SIN card. It was white plastic with black lettering and a red Canada flag logo proudly displayed in the upper left hand corner. Its purpose was strictly limited for dealing with the government in terms of taxation and Canada Pension payments.
Over the years, the SIN number became a broader form of identification. Banks required it when new accounts were opened. Credit card companies required it as part of the process of approving you for a new credit card and it was used to run credit checks, background and criminal checks.
