A Digital Certificate For Every Canadian

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A Digital Certificate For Every Canadian

Posted by timothy on Saturday October 12, 2002 @04:38AM from the chickens-and-pots dept.

thepacketmaster writes "September 27 of this year, the Canadian government took a quiet step into the online world. Called Government Online, this broad project involves giving every Canadian citizen a digital certificate, which will allow citizens to access their personal government records online. So far they only have the Custom & Revenue Agency online with a simple Change of Address, but there are over a hundred more applications from various agencies ready to be put online. Could this be the start of something good, or is this Big Brother? How about voting online?"

11 of 293 comments (clear)

this is unnecessary by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-12 04:43 · Score: 5, Funny

this is unnecessary, microsoft already has a system called passport that works even better

why reinvent the wheel?
if the US goes with this... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-12 04:43 · Score: 2, Funny

they should avoid using online voting in florida. i can hear it now... "i meant to push the LEFT mouse button... it was so confusing..."
1. Re:if the US goes with this... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-12 05:07 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  If they used Macs, that wouldn't be a problem.
Re:Canada: a police state by houseofmore · 2002-10-12 04:54 · Score: 4, Funny

Yeah well they don't have pedestrians being picked off by snipers do they?
The real question by Viking5150 · 2002-10-12 04:58 · Score: 3, Funny

Is Prime Minister Jean Poutine even aware of this initiative?
New Catchphrase for Government Online: by PhxBlue · 2002-10-12 04:58 · Score: 3, Funny

"You've got bribes!"

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!#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
As a Canadian by Quirk · 2002-10-12 05:17 · Score: 3, Funny

As a Canadian I'm apathetic and hopelessly ambivalent. But if it's offered it would be impolite to say no. Queen Elizabeth, now visiting during her Golden Jubilee, during one of her earlier visits to Nova Scotia was presented with a giant, fiberglass lobster. She was given a giant, fiberglass lobster because the fine folks of Nova Scotia found out she didn't have one. I'm sure the federal government in is similar vein is issuing online identity certificates. Remeber, identity is an ongoing national struggle for Canadians so every little bit helps.

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"Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
Cohen
You know what's cool? by SpanishInquisition · 2002-10-12 06:31 · Score: 5, Funny

A 64 bits Canadian certificate is equivalent to a 100 bits American one.

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Je t'aime Stéphanie
Re:Canada: a police state by Angry+Toad · 2002-10-12 08:23 · Score: 5, Funny

arrested for owning a gun, charged for saying something 'racist', and imprisoned for WRITING DOWN child porn

Oh my gosh - the Gun Nuts, the Klan, and Child Abusers aren't welcome in Canada? Terrible, who's next? Necrophiles? What about the poor, poor People Who Torture Animals?

Who would want to live in a country where you couldn't do things like that?
Re:Security? by Swaffs · 2002-10-12 16:05 · Score: 3, Funny

And he lives in Vancouver. The guy from Quebec you're thinking of is Jean Smith. People get those two guys mixed up all the time. Its a bit of a joke among us Canadians.

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"Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." - Homer Simpson [1F10]
Re:Security? by Martin+Blank · 2002-10-13 02:07 · Score: 3, Funny

I've actually made a couple of posts as an American defending Canadians, but now that I see how cheap your broadband is, I hate you all. I hope Zimbabwe invades and sinks your linky subs and enslaves the lot of you. :)

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You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.