Greetings All
By this time you will all be aware of the low response of YES answers to the
informed consent question on the 2006 Census. We all agree that something
must be done to prevent a similar result for the Census of 2011.
Bill S-18 provided for a review of the administration and operation of the
'informed consent' provision that we were forced to accept without
opposition in order to regain public access to Historic Census records. We
are hoping that pressure from genealogists and historians might prompt an
early review and ask that you write your parliamentary representatives
seeking their support for this to happen.
On 16 July 2007, representatives of the Canadian Historical Association,
along with myself will be meeting with Anil Arora, Director General, Census
Program Branch, Census Manager of Statistics Canada. Representatives of the
Canadian Sociological Association and the Canadian Political Science
Association may be in attendance as well.
The meeting will be held in Ottawa, and the subject matter of the meeting
will be the 'informed consent' question imposed on us by Bill S-18.
We are hoping that meetings with Information Commissioner Robert Marleau,
and Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart can be arranged for the same
time, but that has yet to be confirmed.
I will keep you informed of any further developments.
Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts(a)telus.net
Co-chair, Canada Census Committee
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Read my column, 'Gordon Watts Reports' at
http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/authors/authgw.htm