----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net> To: "Canada Census Campaign" <CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2004 7:22 PM Subject: Post 1901 Census - A new Gold Tick Greetings All. A new Gold Tick of support has been added to the MPs Scoreboard. Newly elected MP Nina Grewal sent the following supportive letter in response to the letter I sent to all 308 Members of Parliament. Happy Hunting Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-chair Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census en francais http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f Permission to forward without notice is granted ========= Ottawa September 14, 2004 Mr. Gordon A. Watts Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Dear Mr. Watts Thank you for your letter expressing support for the release of post-1901 Census records. I appreciate knowing your views on this issue and am pleased to be given the opportunity of providing you with our position. The Conservative Party of Canada supports the preservation of Census records and the subsequent transfer of these records to the National Archives for public release. We believe the historical 92-year period is an adequate length of time, and that this is generally consistent with the practice in Britain and the Unites States, where records are kept confidential for 100 and 72 years respectively. However, the Conservative Party of Canada will not be supporting the Census legislation proposed in Bill S-13 should it be reintroduced in this Parliament. That legislation 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 the proposed legislation further complicates matters by allowing access after 92 years to only designated individuals. The designation process will result in a complicated bureaucreacy, added costs and the question of who will police the Census. Thank you again for taking the time to write and express your views on this issue. Yours sincerely, Nina Grewal, M.P. Fleetwood-Port Kells