Policy-Discussion

[Oisin Feeley <oisin.feeley AT gmail.com>]

On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 5:44 AM, Duane at e164 dot org 
<duane AT e164.org>
 wrote:
> Oisin Feeley wrote:
>
>> Québecers will soon be able to hold a "permis de conduire plus", an
>> Enhanced Driver's License which permits them to use it instead of a
>> passport when travelling to the USA. It apparently costs circa CAN$50.
>> Ontario and Manitoba will probably follow suit.
>
> Yes, but doesn't sound like a regular US state DOT issued license that
> they issue/issued to any tom, dick or harry that asks for one.

The motivation behind them is a commercial one. Chambers of commerce
in border states are worried that sealing the previously porous border
will reduce trade.  Probably a reasonable worry.

So there are diametrically opposed pressures:

Free(ish) movement of people and goods

vs.

Hermetic sealing of borders against unspecified future threats.

Either the new program will make it easy enough to obtain simple
passage into the US across the Canadian border or it will fail in its
objective of facilitating commerce.

As far as I can make out all one needs to do is to possess a current
drivers license and then shell out some extra cash to the SAAQ (the
Québec regulatory agency roughly equivalent to the USA states' DMVs)
and agree that yet more personal data can be stored with no guarantees
against malfeasance (in this case by a foreign government) and you're
good to go.

Oisín