Many thanks, Stephen for replying -- but your Canadian Alliance Party could do more good on our behalf if you made certain the restrictions are removed. Just stating on a party-wide basis that you will not support this bill is not what we want -- we want assistance and have again resorted to a federal lawsuit procedure for 1911 census, which should have been released June 1, 2003. Researchers -- and there are many -- are quite happy with the 92-years (wish it could be 72) -- but to be defeatist in the Canadian Alliance Party is not our desire. Muriel M. Davidson [email protected] Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/index.htm http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~downhome/post1901census.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Office of the Leader of the Opposition" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 1:00 PM > June 11th, 2003 > > Ms. Muriel M. Davidson > Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee > 25 Crestview Avenue > Brampton, ON L6W 2R8 > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > Dear Ms. Davidson: > > Thank you for your e-mail of May 8th regarding Bill S-13. I would like to > take this opportunity to explain the Canadian Alliance's position on this > legislation. > > As you know, the Canadian Alliance supports the preservation of census > records and the subsequent transfer of these records to the National > Archives for public release. We believe that keeping the records > confidential for the historical 92-year period is an adequate length of > time, and that this is generally consistent with the practice in Britain and > the United States, where records are kept confidential for 100 and 72 years > respectively. > > I appreciate your concerns about Bill S-13, An Act to Amend the Statistics > Act (Census Records), the census legislation that is currently in front of > the House of Commons. The Canadian Alliance will not be supporting this > legislation. Bill S-13 will allow limited access to "tombstone" census > information after 92 years. Full access to census records will only be > allowed after 112 years. We believe that Bill S-13 further complicates > matters by allowing access after 92 years only to designated individuals. > The designation process will result in a complicated bureaucracy, added > costs, and the question of who will police the census. > > Thank you once again for your continued correspondence. I appreciate your > dedication to this issue. > > Sincerely, > > Stephen Harper, M.P. > Leader of the Opposition > Leader of the Canadian Alliance > > /rl > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.488 / Virus Database: 287 - Release Date: 6/5/03