Diane Marleau said today that she was delighted with the level of support received from the community for her Passport Office petition. The petition, launched by Marleau in November, has received widespread support from areas throughout Northeastern Ontario, said a news release.
“I am thrilled with the level of support we have received for this initiative. We received requests for copies of the petition from all areas of Greater Sudbury, and communities throughout Northeastern Ontario,” said Marleau in the news release.
“We had people call us and ask for copies of the petition and they had them filled within a week in some cases,” said Marleau.
“I am also very pleased to have received support from the Mayor and Council of Greater Sudbury. The Mayors motion, introduced and debated today, and Councils support of that motion indicate that there is wide spread support for this and I hope the government pays attention,” she said.
The petition, calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to establish an issuing office here in Sudbury has been circulating throughout the community at a variety of locations since late November.
At the present time people who need a passport quickly have no choice but to travel over four hours just to apply for their passport. The mail-in service takes six to eight weeks to process an application and issue a passport.
“Greater Sudbury is the hub of government, education, health and business activity in Northeastern Ontario and to not have the same level of service as other parts of the province is just wrong. Northeastern Ontario comprises communities that make up a population of well over 600,000 and we are grossly under serviced in this area. With the U.S. introducing more strict requirements for travel into that country this is becoming a vital service that the government must provide,” said Marleau.
Information, including a list of locations where the petition is available to sign, can be obtained on Diane Marleau’s website at: www.dianemarleau.com
