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BC government.
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BC gauche.
Good afternoon, everyone.
I am
honored to join you today from the BC
legislature in Victoria.
On the
traditional territories of the la
governing win speaking peoples
includes the Esquimalt first nations.
It is a privilege to be feel enriched
by the beauty of these lands which
have been protected and cared for by
its inn hab -- inn hab tonights tonights.
Thank you for joining us in our exciting news.
I would like to join you and with me today is my good
friend and colleague, MLA main.
Ridge
mission bob Deith and we also have
aerial a fourth year student at
Douglas College joining us.
During
the COVID-19 pandemic it has become
the new normal to go online to live
and work and find the thing that we
need.
Now more than ever, people are
looking to access government services
online when and where its convenient
for them.
My ministry is son the
cutting edge of innovations that make
life easier for people in BC.
We are
using technology to deliver more and
moron line service for people while
keeping thing simple and secure.
The
mobile BC service card is a great
example of this.
It is a digital
version of your BC service card kept
on your mobile device.
And I brought
mine to show everyone.
So the mobile
card helps connect to online
government services quickly and safely
but in order to set up your mobile
card, we need to confirm that you are
who you are.
So last year, we
introduced the live video calls with
service BC customer service
representatives.
And so you can
verify your identity and set.
Your
mobile card directly within the app.
That's really convenient and I'm so
proud to say that BC is the first
jurisdiction of all of North America
to be able to validate people's
identity using the video call.
More
than 125,000 people in BC have set up
the mobile service card and they love
it.
I've also set mine up and I
thought it was really fantastic and
really easy.
So if I could do it, I
think everyone could do it.
Here are some of the reviews that we received.
One user said -- and I'm quoting, I've
had a great experience using the BC
service mobile card and I got the
right information that I needed.
We
have also heard from another user and
I quote "one of the best government
experiences I've had hands down.
Props to the BC government for
embracing technology.
So right now
people want to avoid crowded offices
and.
Lineups and keep their social
circles small.
This has caused a
surge in the number of people using
the live video call to set up their
mobile BC service card.
To help with
this high demand, and to keep wait
times short, today we are announcing a
new way for people to activate their
mobile BC services card and it's
called" send video." People can now
send service BC a photo and a short
video of themselves any time day or
night.
And in as little as a few
hours a service BC representative will
verify your identity and activate your
mobile card for online use.
And it's
that simple.
So this new feature
means people don't have to wait to
connect live with a service BC
representative.
Both options, video
call and send video eliminate the need
to visit a service BC center in
person.
They also make it faster and
easier to access online government
services safely and securely.
Now I
would like to show you just how quick
and easy these features are to use.
[ ... ] .
>> The BC services card makes it
easier for BC residents to access
government services with just one
card.
You can even use your card to
access.
Solve these service online.
Here's how it works.
Ashley wants to
log into to a website and she needs to
use her BC services card.
It's her
first time and she has decided to set
up her mobile card on her phone.
The
mobile card is a reputation of a BC
service card stored on her phone.
First she downloads and installs the
BC services card mobile' and then
follows the instructions in the' to
load to her card.
The last step to
set up her mobile card is to complete
a one-time security check to verify
her die identity.
There two-way she's
can he do this.
She can send a
videoed of herself and send it back
once her video is verified or have her
identity verified during a video call.
She chooses to verify before the
video call.
Before the call she will
take a photo of herself and make sure
she's in a quiet place.
>> Good morning, thank you for
calling service BC.
My name is Nicole
I will be verifying your card with you today.
>> In just a few minutes a BC agent
will verify her identity and her
mobile card will be able to use.
She
can log in at any time.
So use her
card and to access a various active
government services without needing to
verify her identity again.
As you can
see it only takes a few minutes to set
up the mobile BC service card from the
comfort of your own home.
Once a card
is activated people with go online to
pay bills, access health information,
access a Canadian revenue agency
account and the manage student aid applications.
And that's just the beginning we are working to bring more
services online.
I would like to
invite MLA.
>> Bob: A Bobdeitht to
hell you about the services.
>> RANSMIT >> Thank you very much
for that introduction and I'm pleased
to be here on behalf of Melanie Marc
with advanced training and I would
like to acknowledge the Esquimalt
first nations.
As Mr.
Kand has said
there couldn't be a better time for
new online service.
Making it safe,
secure and easy for people to identify
them self through a video or through a
video call is pretty much a necessity
with the impacts of coffee comb as we
all know most post secondary students
live on their phones through's and
texting so it only makes sense to provide services that
they already use on a daily basis to help them with
some of the most important educational
services they need such as the student
aid BC.
One really big improvement we
have already seen because of this
service is how much faster and easier
it is for them to apply for student
aid.
Applying for student aid BC used
to require students to show up at a
Canada post outlet to be identified
before they could even begin the
application process.
Now they have to
-- they just have to verify their
identity through the video as part of
the service BC card app.
And it's
really important to note that 53,000
BC post secondary students have
already used verified by video
services to verify their identity and
to activate their mobile card to
access student aid BC.
This is just
one more improved service the BC
government has provided to post
secondary students.
Now the minister
of advanced education skills and
training Melanie Marc has done a
number of things.
Removing interest
on student loans and creating to help
more than 40,000 low and middle income
students access student aid this
service and this access grant means
student can receive up to 4,000 dollars at the beginning
of their studies we have made a record
investment in open textbooks to make
post secondary more accessible and
more affordable.
We launched the new
free "here to talk 24/7 mental health
counsel service" targeting students as
well.
We provided 35 million to help
students during this pandemic and
providing 1.5 million to indigenous
students to supplement the fund and so
much more.
Now enough hearing from an
MLA.
It's really important to hear
from students.
And so here today we
have aerial Ataza, a student from
Douglas College who will talk to us a
little bit today about verify by
video.
Ariel.
(Inaudible).
I was able to do it from my computer
at home.
Having your digital identity
on your phone is so helpful for
students and especially useful during
the pandemic.
Through the app I
discover I had could access a variety
of online government services
including student aid BC.
Being able
to be verified through the app is
going to make the process for the
student loans so much easier and saved
me some time.
It's so fantastic to
see BC embracing technology to help
these people face and make life easier
for people.
I found this very helpful
and I plan to share this exciting news
and information about the mobile
services card and the app with other
students.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much, Ariel.
>> Thank you, Ariel and thank you so
much, MLA Bob Deith.
In closing I
would like to encourage people to
download the BC service app and give
it a try.
Within a few moments you
will be able to access government
services online any time, anywhere
when you need them.
I know these are uncertain times and thing can be
difficult for people right now.
We recognize the value of improving
access to the services you need to
help alleviate some of the pressure of
daily live.
The mobile BC service
card with video call and the "send
video" features are just a few of the
many thing we are accomplishing to do
just that.
So better days are ahead.
We will get there together.
And thank you so much for joining us today.
Now I'm happy to take any questions from
the media.
>> Just a reminder to anybody on the
phone please press star 1 to enter the
queue.
Are you lymphed to one question and one followup.
Please take yourselves off mute.
You will
not be audible until I call your name.
I'm just waiting to see if anybody is
cued up.
First question from Shannon Waters.
BC Today.
>> Hello, if there is a
funding allocation for making this
change.
And making this program more
accessible or if this was something in
the works prepandemic or was prompted
by the pandemic.
>> Thank you for the question.
So
there's no additional funding that is
needed for this particular application
to be running.
We previously had the
verify by video service which was --
sorry it's a face to face service that
we had with our BC service
representatives.
Because of the
pandemic, we saw an increase in people
who would like to use the service.
So
now we have upgraded this.
Or really
enhanced feature of what we have is a
"send video." So rather than having
to wait for a BC service customer
representative for verify by videos
now one can also send video any time,
any day, anywhere you want and same
thing the BC service customer
representative will get back to you
and verify your identification.
>> Do
you have a followup, Shannon.
>> No, I'm good.
>> Thank you.
And we don't have any more questions.
Thank you, minister.
Do you have a
wrap-up that you would like to say?
No.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Thanks, everyone.