Dead End: Millions of Calls to Canadian Government Go Unanswered, Auditor General Finds

Officials from the Auditor General's office hold a press briefing following the tabling of the 2019 Spring Reports of the Auditor General of Canada in Ottawa on May 7, 2019. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

OTTAWA—Half of the 16 million Canadians trying to reach one of three government agencies by telephone are unable to speak to live humans, according to Canada’s interim auditor general.

In a new report released in Ottawa today, Sylvain Ricard says callers are facing too many barriers when trying to call the government for services or information.