Hi Ian. I have not done so yet, but will be sending them copies. Happy Hunting. Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Cairns" <i.cairns@sympatico.ca> To: <SCOTS-IN-CANADA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 10:01 AM Subject: Re: [SCTCDN] Post 1901 Census -- Letter to PM Excellent.Gordon Have you also sent copies to the two Ministers that are directly or in directly in charge of the census. Regards Ian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon A. Watts" <gordon_watts@telus.net> To: <SCOTS-IN-CANADA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 12:35 PM Subject: [SCTCDN] Post 1901 Census -- Letter to PM > Greetings All. > > I copy below FYI a letter mailed to Prime Minister Paul Martin this > morning. > > Happy Hunting. > > Gordon > > ================================= > 19 January 2004 > > Right Honourable Paul Martin, > Office of the Prime Minister > 80 Wellington Street > Ottawa, Ontario > K1A 0A2 > > Dear Sir: > > On 9 May 2003 the Ottawa Citizen newspaper reported on an address you > made to the Crossing Boundaries conference on e-democracy (page A4 - > "Leave decision-making alone, Martin warns PS" - Katherine May). In that > article you were reported as having stated that the public service is > not an "alternate legislature" and should stick to consulting Canadians > on policy, but leave the decision-making to MPs. It was further > reported you had made it clear to public servants that MPs should be as > involved as bureaucrats in talking to and "consulting" Canadians on > policy, but it's the job of MPs - not bureaucrats to make the policy > decisions. > > While some might consider your reported comments to have been simply > political rhetoric in your bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party > of Canada you are now in the unique position, as Prime Minister of > Canada, to put into practice what you preach. I call upon you now to do > exactly that. > > Canadians have been 'consulted' regarding public access to Historic > Census Records for more than twenty-five years. Consultations in the > late 1970s resulted in clauses in the Access to Information and Privacy > Acts that make specific provision for public access to personal > information provided to Census, 92 years after collection. Those > consultations, and the passage of Bill C-43 in 1980 through 1983 saw the > release and unrestricted public access of the 1891 and 1901 Census > records. > > Canadians were consulted in 1999 and 2000 - this time through an Expert > Panel on Access to Historic Census Records appointed by then Industry > Minister John Manley. The Expert Panel recommended unrestricted access > to all Census Records - past, present and future - 92 years after > collection. > > Canadians were consulted in December 2001 and January 2002, through a > series of Town Hall Meetings conducted by Statistics Canada. At those > meetings 151 of 157 presenters supported unrestricted public access to > Historic Census Records. At the same time they rejected a number of > conditions and restrictions to that access that had been put forth for > comment by Statistics Canada. > > Through all these consultations Canadians have made it very clear that > they desire the same unrestricted public access to Post-1901 Census > records, 92 years after collection, that has been available for 235 > years of records up to that time. This was made clear also through more > than 62,000 signatures on petitions to the House of Commons and the > Senate, and through untold numbers of personal communications to Members > of Parliament and Senators. So many letters and email have been sent to > our Parliamentary representatives that a number of times we were advised > that they received more correspondence on the Census access issue than > on any other subject. > > What has been the result of all these consultations, representations and > recommendations? For the most part they have been ignored. More than > that - certain senior bureaucrats have actively opposed the > recommendations made. A Government Bill finally put forward would have > allowed access to the records sought. Unfortunately the Bill included > conditions and restrictions on that access that Canadians had previously > rejected. Because of the wording of the Bill, particularly insofar as > the conditions and restrictions is concerned, it is believed that the > major player in the drafting of it was Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi - Chief > Statistician of Canada. > > Ivan Fellegi has refused requests by National Archivist Ian E. Wilson to > return the records in question to his care and control. By that refusal > we believe the Chief Statistician to be in contravention of at least > four Statutes of Canada. I include with this letter a summary of > pertinent sections of Statutes that affect public access to Historic > Census records. > > Mr. Prime Minister, we remind you of your statement that it is not the > job of bureaucrats to make policy decisions. We call upon you to direct > the Chief Statistician of Canada, Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi, to immediately > obey the Laws of Canada, specifically the National Archives Act, the > Access to Information Act, and the Privacy Act and Regulations attached > thereto. We call upon you to direct Dr. Fellegi to immediately return > care and control of Canada's Historic Census records to the National > Archivist so that they might be released for public access 92 years > after collection. > > Sincerely, > > Gordon A. Watts > Co-chair, Canada Census Committee > > > > ==== SCOTS-IN-CANADA Mailing List ==== > Find your ancestors, before they find you! > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.561 / Virus Database: 353 - Release Date: 13/01/2004 ______________________________