Dear Ms. Catterall. This is the third identically worded, non-committal, response that I have had from you, stating that you do not respond to communications from outside your constituency. I received the first 14 June 1999, and the second on 31 May 2000. It seems nothing much has changed with you, or your responses, in the past 13 months. It is indeed unfortunate that you have your office staff programmed to output this same message to all who contact you from outside of your regional constituency. While you may feel that you have responsibility to respond only to those residing in your regional constituency, in the wider sense of the word, you were elected by Canadians, to represent Canadians. By a strange coincidence of birth, I happen to be a Canadian. I also happen to be one of those leading the campaign on the Internet seeking to obtain access to Post 1901 Census records, and the individual responsible for maintaining and updating the Post 1901 Census Project Website at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census This website includes the MP's Scoreboard which shows their response (or lack thereof) to the question of how they would vote on a Bill to allow access to Post 1901 Census records, 92 years after collection, as allowed by regulations attached to the Privacy Act. Your constituents, having elected you, presumably because they felt you were a rational, thinking individual, having opinions similar to their own, want to know your position on this issue. They want to see the green "fence-sitting" icon representing non-committal responses changed to a "gold tick" of support for allowing access to Historic Census. I would therefore respectfully ask once more the question: Would you, as a Member of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada, having been placed in that position by the voting citizens of your Constituency, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public of Post 1901 Census Reports after 92 years, starting with the 1906 Census? If, as your message states, you actually "do read each letter personally", I would respectfully request a specific answer to the specific question above. I hardly think that it takes more effort to send a one line message stating "I support........." or "I do not support......." than it does to send one stating "I am not able to respond individually to all communications from outside my constituency." Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Keep up to date on Post 1901 Census information at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7843/poll.html Download and circulate Post 1901 Census Petitions now from http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/petition.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: Catterall, Marlene - M.P. <Catterall.M@parl.gc.ca> To: <gordon_watts@telus.net> Sent: Monday, 17 July, 2000 8:59 AM Subject: Reply to your email. July 17, 2000 Dear Mr. Watts: Thank you for your recent correspondence. Although I am not able to respond individually to all communications from outside my constituency, I want you to know that I do read each letter personally. Your opinions are a valued contribution to the discussion of public issues. Sincerely yours, Marlene Catterall, M.P. Ottawa West-Nepean pc2/RN/Watts