Greetings All. Senate Third Reading debate on Bill S-18 -- An act to amend the Statistics Act resumed on Wednesday 13 April 2005 with Senator Wilfred P. Moore (Liberal - Nova Scotia) speaking against the access to Historic Census records sought by genealogists and historians. Since March of 2002, when he expressed support for Senator Milne's Private Senator Bill S-12, Senator Moore has been shown on our Scoreboard having a Gold Tick of Support. No more! It would appear the good Senator has done a complete about-face regarding public access to Historic Census records. His comments during his speech leave little doubt as to his opposition and as such his Gold Tick of Support has been removed and the Scoreboard now shows him having a Red X of Opposition. As have other Senators (and some MPs) who have spoken against the access we seek to regain, he made frequent references to 'promises' that have been proven never to have existed. Like others have done, he quotes two narrow clauses of the 1918 Statistics Act while ignoring all pertinent clauses of Instructions to Officers and Enumerators of Census from 1901 to at least 1946 (all having the Force of Law) referring to records of Census having value as historical documents, and being stored in the 'Archives of the Dominion' for research in the future. He ignores the fact that clauses in the Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Privacy Regulations make provision, clearly and unambiguously, for access by any person or body for purposes of research 92 years after the Census is collected. As we have come to expect, the Honourable Senator Comeau got his two-bits worth in once more. He makes reference to individuals using Census to obtain clues relating to health concerns and them expresses concern that insurance companies could use such information to limit what kind of insurance coverage could be obtained. The fact is that Census does not give specific information relating to health concerns, but only gives vague clues on where such information might be found. For such information to be of use to insurance, or any other companies, they would be compelled to compile a multi-generation genealogy for each person seeking to purchase a policy. The likelihood of any company doing this costly and time-consuming exercise is extremely remote. We view the expressed concern of Senator Comeau in this regard simply as scare-mongering. The debate was adjourned in the name of Senator Lynch-Staunton who has already voiced objections to the access we seek in his lengthy speech of 22 March 2005. I find the adjournment in the name of Senator Lynch-Staunton interesting as I was under the impression (subject of course to correction) that Rules of the Senate [i.e. 37(1)] prohibited any Senator from speaking more than once during a particular debate. We think it unlikely that any Senator opposing the access we seek can come up with any argument that has not already been stated. We call upon the Senate to stop further delays. Pass Third Reading of Bill S-18 NOW and get it referred to the House of Commons for debate in that place. As usual, the extract from Hansard for Wednesdays debate has been placed on the Post 1901 Census Project website, at the URL following my signature. Follow the link for 'Progress of Bill S-18'. There are now 40 normal sitting days before Parliament recesses for the Summer. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts [email protected] Co-chair Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm Permission to forward without notice is granted