Greetings All. In recent times there has been considerable speculation about Liberal Party MPs being dictated to regarding their responses to our requests to support legislation to regain public access to Historic Census Records. Comparison of some letters of response would tend to support this speculation. I invite you to visit the MPs Scoreboard on the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature, and view some of these responses to decide for yourself. Compare the 15 May 2001 response of MP Andy Savoy (New Brunswick -- Tobique-Mactaquac) to the 26 June 2001 response of MP Maria Minna (Ontario -- Beaches-East York). The main portion of the two letters are word for word identical. Compare these two letters with the 15 December 2000 News Release of Industry Minister Brian Tobin (available through a link on the Post 1901 Census Project website) wherein he rejects the Report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records, stating that "further broad based discussion with all Canadians" is required. Decide for yourself if Liberal Party MPs are being dictated to regarding how they respond to our questions. Most of the wording of this News Release is identical to that on information sheets provided MPs by Statistics Canada. It is my personal opinion that Mr. Tobin is taking his direction regarding public access to Historic Census Records from Chief Statistician, Dr. Ivan Fellegi, rather than the other way around. It is my further opinion that Mr. Tobin's News Release was likely written by Dr. Fellegi, who actively opposes public access to these records. Most people likely vote for their elected representatives because they feel they are reasonably intelligent individuals, having positions on issues similar to their own, and being capable of individual thought. It would appear that at least some MPs are incapable of individual thought and are allowing themselves to be dictated to in how they respond to our questions. How does your MP rate? Does he/she think for themselves -- or do they take direction from above?? Contact him/her and find out! Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en francais http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm Permission to forward without notification is granted.