Greetings All. FYI Gordon ----------------------------------------- Mr. Rob Anders, MP Dear Mr. Anders I am writing in regard to your recent correspondence, via your assistant Bill Bewick, with Muriel M. Davidson relating to Access to Post 1901 Census, the text of which is copied below. We currently show you on our MPs Scoreboard located at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census as having taken a position opposing access to Census records 92 years after collection as allowed in Regulations attached to the Privacy Act. It would appear, from your correspondence with Ms. Davidson, and others that I have seen, that your main objection to access of this information has to do with the concept of breaking the "promise" of never-ending confidentiality of Census that Statistics Canada states was made by the government of Sir Wilfred Laurier in 1905/1906. I have great news for you. You can support allowing access to Post 1901 Census records with a clear conscience, and with no fear that you would be breaking a "promise" made by previous governments. My submission to the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census records, entitled "The Myths of Census" proves conclusively that this "promise" does not exist. A promise never made cannot be broken. The files for my submission were previously sent to you attached to an email. Should you be unable to locate those files I would be more than happy to send them to you again. Your correspondence mentions having ordered information from the Library of Parliament to "get a better idea of what people's understanding was back then regarding future use of the data." During extensive research in preparation for my submission to the Expert Panel I compiled a CD-ROM that contains a great deal of support documentation, including extracted Debates of the House of Commons and the Senate from Hansard for the critical years of 1905 and 1918, Instructions to Officers and Enumerators for most Censuses from 1871 to 1946, extracts from the Canada Gazette, and more. Nowhere in any documented source of information has there been any mention of "promise" of confidentiality relating to personal information contained in Census. I would be happy to send you a copy of this CD-ROM should you so request. The research and compilation of this information took an average of 12 to 14 hours per day, every day, for more than two months. I think it unlikely that the staff of the Library of Parliament would spend the same amount of time to provide to you the amount of comprehensive data I can provide. I might add that the release of Historic Census to the National Archives according to Regulation, and the subsequent access of the public to that information, is entirely consistent with the purposes for which it was collected. Aside from a clause regarding Secrecy (in contemporary terms), Instructions to Officers and Enumerators contained clauses that stated Census had value for Historic purposes, would be deposited in the National Archives, and would be available for future research. I would urge that you read my submission to the Expert Panel and, having done so, reconsider your response to the question "Would you, as an elected Member of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public, of Post 1901 Census Records, 92 years after they were recorded, starting with the 1906 Census." I have several times asked of Statistics Canada and Privacy Commissioner Bruce Phillips to "Show me the Promise". I have asked for documented proof of this "promise." To date they have been unable to provide any such documentation. Regarding my submission to the Expert Panel, or anything else I have stated regarding the Census issue, I have stated "If you can prove me wrong, please do so." I would ask the same of you. Should you doubt the truth of my statements I invite you to ask these same questions of Statistics Canada. I would welcome any comments you might have regarding my submission. I would respectfully request a personal response to this message. Thank you. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Tel (604) 942-6889 Fax (604) 942-6843 Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index.htm Join the CANADA CENSUS CAMPAIGN List at CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L-request@rootsweb.com Read my Post 1901 Census column in the Global Gazette http://www.globalgenealogy.com/gazette.htm ------------------------------------------------------ Dear Ms. Davidson, Thanks for your support of the Party. As you know, Jason Kenney has a private members bill that supports your position. We have ordered information from the Library of Parliament to get a better idea of what people's understanding was back then regarding future use of the data. The genealogists acknowledge that people were told if they asked that the information would only be used for statistical purposes. It is not clear if this was considered a short term or long term promise. If its relatively clear that there was no time limit on the promise, I doubt Mr. Anders will be willing to support the breaking of it. He feels bad about it though, given how important this is to people like you. We'll see what happens. Thanks again for your dedication, Bill Bewick, Office Assistant for Rob Anders, MP for Calgary West