Greetings All. FYI the following is an email that I sent to all Senators for whom I was able to obtain email addresses -- 62 out of 100. I have started getting some responses this morning. Senator Carstairs will support Bill S-15. When I manage to get the Post 1901 Census Project web pages updated I have been giving some thought to adding a scoreboard for Senators - will see what happens in the future. Gordon --------------------------------------------- To All Senators I give greetings. This message is being sent to all Senators of Canada for whom I have been able to obtain email addresses. Unfortunately only 62 of the 100 Senators listed on the government website have email addresses available. One might have thought that in this age of electronic enlightenment, all Senators would have access to email. That, however, is a subject for another day. Please feel free to copy this message and the attachments to those Senators who do not have access to email. By way of introduction I will advise that I am one of the leaders of a campaign on the Internet seeking Public access to Post 1901 Census records after a reasonable period of time, as provided for by the Privacy Act of Canada. I am sure that many, if not all, Senators have been contacted by citizens of Canada and are aware of our campaign. At the very least you will be aware of Senator Lorna Milne's Bill S-15 currently in second reading in the Senate. Statistics Canada, because of a misinterpretation of a Statute passed in 1905 refuses to transfer control of Post 1901 Census records to the National Archives, thus preventing them from being accessible by the public after the 92 year period mandated in Regulations pertaining to the Privacy Act. Their position is based upon a "promise" of everlasting confidentiality they claim was given by the government of Sir Wilfred Laurier. Statistics Canada has widely distributed handouts referring to this so called "promise". One such handout was titled "Access to 1911 and other Post-1901 Census Records". It was widely quoted by a number of MPs responding to questions from their constituents. Those MPs responding in this manner obviously accepted at face value what Statistics Canada and Privacy Commissioner Bruce Phillips have said regarding this "promise". They made no attempt to seek out the truth of the matter. I have asked both Statistics Canada and Privacy Commissioner Bruce Phillips to "show me the promise" upon which their position of non-disclosure is entirely based. To date they have been unable to do so -- simply referring me to the Statutes of 1901/1906, and Instructions to Census Officers and Enumerators of Census for that time period. I can state categorically that at no place in these Statutes and Instructions, nor in any Statutes or Instructions since then, is there any mention of a "promise" that confidentiality of information given by respondents to Census will last "forever". The "promise" does not exist. On 12 November 1999 an Expert Panel to study Access to Historic Census Records was appointed with a mandate to bring down a report containing recommendations by 31 May 2000. In an effort to inform and educate, or at least cause Senators to think about the issue, I have attached to this message the files containing my printed submission to the Expert Panel. Titled "The Myths of Census", this submission is the result of considerable research of the pertinent sources of information relating to the matter at hand. These sources, among others, include: All Statutes relating to Census and Statistics from 1870 to the present . Most Instructions to Officers and Enumerators of Census from 1871 to 1941. Extracted Debates of the House of Commons and the Senate for 1879, 1905 and 1918 Many Proclamations and Orders in Council published in The Canada Gazette Extract from Archivaria 45 (Fall 1998) -- "Counting the Archives In: The appraisal of the 1991 Census of Canada" by Jean-Stephen Piche and Sheila Powell Extract from Canadian Public Administration (Vol. 20, No. 3, pp 481-498) -- "Access to historic census data in Canada: a comparative analysis." by David H. Flaherty Report of the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs titled "Saving Our Census and preserving our history (May 1998)" I urge each Senator to read my submission to the Expert Panel, the submission of the Canadian Historical Association which is posted on the web pages of Statistics Canada, and any other submissions to which you might have access. Read these submissions, and think about the issues involved. The report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census is due by the end of May. It is hoped that their recommendation will be to allow public access of Historic Census records. Bill S-15 is a Bill that should satisfy the concerns of all. I urge all Senators to vote in favour of Bill S-15 In this regard I would ask each of you the following question: Would you, as a Member of the Senate of Canada, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public of Post 1901 Census Reports after 92 years, starting with the 1906 Census? I would welcome any comments or questions you might have regarding my submission to the Expert Panel. To the Francophone Senators I extend my apologies for not sending this message and the attached files in the French language. I regret that I am not bilingual and neither read, nor write, French. Thank you. Gordon A. WATTS gordon_watts@telus.net Port Coquitlam, BC ICQ # 9183352 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