London Mayor Boris Johnson recently rejected the renewal of a contract with Giesecke and Devrient, a German firm that provides the Oyster card. The card is used as the city of London’s ticketing and revenue system for public transportation. Johnson has promised that the contract with G&D will not be renewed at the end of August.

The firm has other contracts, however.

Giesecke and Devrient also prints banknotes for Robert Mugabe’s illegitimate Zimbabwean government. Western nations including the UK and Canada have promised political and economic sanctions against the dictator and his country.

These facts seem unknown at this time to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty who has also has signed a contract with G&D.

McGuinty Government To Introduce New Driver’s Licence Card

New Card Will Include State-Of-The-Art Security Features

QUEEN’S PARK, March 9 /CNW/ – The Ontario government today took a significant step toward making its driver’s licence cards more secure.

“We’re on the side of Ontarians concerned about safety,” said Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield.

“To meet today’s security needs we are introducing a new card with technologies and security features to protect holders from identify theft and make it more difficult to tamper with or counterfeit.”

Using the latest technology, and with security changes guided by Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the Ontario driver’s licence will be at the forefront of card security. The card will be produced by Giesecke and Devrient Systems Canada (G&D), a subsidiary of The G & D Group, a global leader with more than 40 years’ experience in advanced technology for identification, including secure document design for driver’s licences, passports, payment transactions and currency printing for governments and financial institutions around the world. Selected though a fair, open and competitive process, the
Markham, Ontario based company will draw on its worldwide experience and expertise to create the next generation of Ontario’s driver’s licences.

Unfortunately for McGuinty government and the Zimbabwean people, G&D’s global experience includes aiding the Mugabe regime.

Will McGuinty continue Ontario’s association with a firm that does business with an African dictator?

UPDATE: G&D put out a press release yesterday indicating that they will cease all deliveries to Zimbabwe. However, it is not as if Mugabe only became a questionable figure this past week. Why was G&D doing business with Mugabe up until yesterday? Was Johnson’s cancelation of business what spurred G&D to act? While McGuinty was probably unaware of G&D’s business connections, it is still unfortunate that in March Ontario contracted services with a firm working for Mugabe’s regime.