SMITHERS - Yesterday's opening of three new passport receiving offices in Greater Vancouver does little for northwest residents who still face months-long passport delays, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen said today.

Service Canada centres in Burnaby, North Vancouver and Coquitlam will now review passport applications to ensure they are properly completed, collect fees and identification and send application packages on to Passport Canada for processing.

"It is absolutely staggering that passport services in the south have been ramped up while here in the north and elsewhere we must continue to travel great distances at huge expense for any direct service," fumed a visibly frustrated Cullen.

Cullen noted that additional resources to process applications, rather than just review and forward, is what is really needed to help speed up unacceptable delays.

He said it is "totally ridiculous" that people who must mail in applications are still waiting over 12 weeks for passports that should take only four weeks.

"Adding passport review capacity to Greater Vancouver is not an improvement in service. It's a smokescreen and a slap in the face to thousands of British Columbians who don't live within commuting distance of passport services.

"We pay our taxes too and we have federal offices across the north that should at the very least have passport review services added so people's applications are fully and properly done before mailing."

Eight other Service Canada locations in B.C. also review passport applications before forwarding to Passport Canada, including Prince George and Terrace.