The two provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, are the main reason the 1906 law was passed - the provinces were new to Canada -- the Canadian government wanted the census so made promises -- these now affect all genealogists & researchers. Barbara Marrs has suggested Senator Lowell Murray receive MANY MANY letters if YOU do not agree with him. Should you wish to write letters, giving him ????, you may send direct with free postage or to my e-mail address. Senator Lorna Milne also likes YES letters and we have petitions -- just ask -- I have these and receive her mail. Muriel M. Davidson <Farquhar@netcom.ca> <http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html> ======================================================== NOTE: The following Hansard item is lengthy, I did not post it. Taken from House of Commons Hansard for 15 November 1999 Excerpt from Senator Lowell Murray speaking again about Bill C-6 - -------------------------------- In the course of my speech on November 4, I also opened a parenthesis concerning the confidentially of census data. That matter was raised earlier today during Senators' Statements by our colleague Senator Milne. I referred to the campaign presently underway which would change the law brought in by Sir Wilfrid Laurier that guaranteed the confidentiality of personal and private information collected in the course of the census. At that time, I expressed my opposition to a change in that law as a matter of principle. Since that time, I have had a number of indignant - indeed, in some cases irate - letters from various people, notably those interested in genealogy. These people represented to me that adequate safeguards could be devised if we would but change the law. My response to them has been and is: Show me the safeguards and we will consider them, if and when Parliament is asked to change that law. However, on the general principle, I am unmoved. I believe that personal and private information collected from individuals by the government in the course of a census on the basis of a law that guarantees confidentiality should be kept confidential. I believe, as a matter of principle, that we should not lightly change that law. After all, census-taking over the years has become more and more intrusive, and just because people die does not mean that the government should be relieved of the commitment of confidentiality it made to those people. That is my opinion, honourable senators. In places like the Senate, we should be on guard against the apparent attempts by some historians, social scientists and journalists to persuade us that the right to collect and disseminate information should trump every other right in the book. That is why I have advocated that we revisit the idea of entrenching a right to privacy in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I cheerfully acknowledge that what we have here is a conflict or a clash between two legitimate principles, one having to do with access to information and the other having to do with privacy. As in any similar conflict of principles, one must try to strike a balance. This clash of principles or of values is also apparent in the bill that is before the house today. - ------------------------------------------ Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Port Coquitlam, BC ICQ # 9183352