Alberta’s new license: A waste of money or a security risk too?

As of July 2, Alberta driver’s licenses and health-care cards will turn into one card. But there is little good that this will bring to Albertans.

The Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, shared how the new licenses would streamline services. They claim Albertans will no longer need to carry around multiple cards in their wallet, only one.

I renewed my license a month ago. The current process was simple enough. This new process sounds like a lot of red tape from a “Red Tape Reduction” minister. 

The new card will display permanent residents’ and Canadian citizens’ Personal Health Number (PHN), as well as their citizenship status. After July 2, when you renew or apply for a new Alberta driver’s license, you must also apply to revalidate your eligibility for the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.

The expiry date for our health insurance coverage will now be the same as the driver’s license or government-issued ID, but why? Having the privilege of being born in Canada, I already have an Alberta health-care card that I do not need to renew. 

Even if I receive the same coverage, this is an extra step that will waste my and the clerk’s time at the registry. This will not only waste time, but the province’s money as well.

The Calgary Journal reported that this new plan will cost the government $17 million over six years.

If the recent deaths in Edmonton hospital waiting rooms have proved anything, it is that this money should be put into an already underfunded health-care system, not more paperwork. 

Global News reported how the card will have the “province’s new branding.” This will include replacing our dear dinosaur with oil and gas barrels, and adding the “Alberta Strong and Free” slogan. This is ironic because the new cards will also say “CAN” if you are a Canadian citizen with the slogan that has been twisted in recent months to be separatist-leaning.

This card is just another useless change that will cost the government more money. The change will also make the province’s politics even more clear than they already were. There are many great industries in Alberta, including agriculture, forestry, and tourism, that could have been featured. 

By featuring oil barrels, the province declares that oil and gas are Alberta’s only reality that matters. Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney recently signed agreements that move us closer to a new pipeline deal. This deal streamlined a debate on land use that should have had more Indigenous community consultation. The new oil barrel logo hits the nail on the head, for lack of better words, that Alberta will focus on oil and gas and will not change, no matter how many protest. 

Furthermore, this new system sounds more like a security risk than a convenience.

Nally was not wrong when he said that having all the information on one card would be simple. But I would prefer to search through my closet for my birth certificate than become a victim of fraud. 

The Government of Alberta’s website claims that these cards would be difficult to counterfeit, making them more safe. But despite Smith’s assurances, Alberta’s privacy commissioner, Diane McLeod, still shares concerns over increased fraud risk.

Beyond a day to day security risk, there have been concerns over how the Registrar of Motor Vehicles will store our information. After the disastrous voter information leak from Elections Alberta, rushing into another information system is unwise at best. 

Creating a new driver’s license system is a waste of money, time, and attention. Our province has a separatist referendum in October — something that seriously impacts everyone. Albertans should be more focused on how to protect their place in Canada, not the number of cards in their wallet.