| Name: | Mr. Bill Graham |
| Political Party: | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Constituency: | Toronto Centre--Rosedale |
| Province: | Ontario |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-5234 |
| Fax: | (613) 996-9607 |
| Email: | Graham.B@parl.gc.ca or grahab8@parl.gc.caor dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | 365 Bloor St East Suite 1805 Toronto, Ontario M4W 3L4 Tel: 416-954-2222 Fax: 416-954-9649 |
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11/04.2004 - email from office of MP Bill Graham to Michelle Knoll. From: Graham, Bill - M.P. On behalf of the Honourable Bill Graham, thank you for your email regarding the release of census records. Could you please send me your mailing address so that the Minister may send you a response? Sincerely, Geoff Smith 10/29/2004 - letter from MP Bill Graham to Muriel M. Davidson. Oct. 29, 2004 Dear Mrs. Davidson:- Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning access to census data. I appreciate hearing from you and being made aware of your views. Since my appointment as Minister of National Defence, I have been privileged to take part in deliberations with the Prime Minister and other ministers of the Cabinet, and to speak for our Government in matters of national defence. In our parliamentary tradition, however, this privilege is accompanied by a corresponding responsibility to defer to other ministers on questions of Government policies within their own portfolios. As this issue you raise falls within the responsibilities of the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Industry, I have forwarded a copy of your correspondence to his office for consideration. I will contact you again once I have received a reply directly from the Minister. Many thanks once again for having taken the time to write. Sincerely, Bill Graham, P.C., M.P. 09/01/2004 - letter sent to MP Bill Graham from Gordon A. Watts 29 August 2004 Mr. Bill Graham Dear Mr. Graham Congratulations on your recent election as a Member of Parliament. To have the trust and respect of those who voted for you is a great honour. Members who have been re-elected will be aware of an issue affecting a great many Canadians that seek their personal ancestry through research of Historic Census records. Newly elected Members may not yet be aware of this issue. It has been estimated that in excess of 7.5 million Canadians have an interest in genealogy and family history. These individuals seek to regain the same public access, with no added conditions or restrictions, to 92-year-old records of Census after 1906 that is currently available for 240 years of Census records up to that time. Access to Census records after 1906 is prevented at this time because of the (believed illegal) policy of a federal civil servant - Dr. Ivan P. Fellegi - Chief Statistician of Canada. The Library and Archives of Canada Act (and it's predecessor) has designated to the Librarian and Archivist the authority to determine what records of government are of archival or historical value and that shall be deposited in the National Library and Archives. Librarian and Archivist Ian E. Wilson determined that schedules of Census have archival and historical value. He declared them to be a National Treasure. He requested the Chief Statistician to return care and control of the records in question to his authority. Dr. Fellegi denied that request. The Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Privacy Regulations, make specific provision for personal information collected through Census or Survey to be made available to any person or body for purposes of research, 92 years following collection. The legislation assumes these records to be under the care and control of the National Archivist. By refusing to return care and control of the records in question to the Librarian and Archivist for subsequent public access the Chief Statistician has acted in deliberate contravention of the Library and Archives of Canada Act, the Access to Information Act, and the Privacy Act. He has usurped the authority of the Librarian and Archivist to determine what governmental records are of archival or historical value and that shall be deposited in the Library and Archives of Canada. In dictating policy instead of following policy determined through legislation passed by Parliament he has usurped the authority of that body. Do you believe that any Federal bureaucrat, regardless of how highly placed or regarded, is above the Laws of Canada? Do you believe that a civil servant has the power to dictate policy that contravenes legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada? The Access to Information and Privacy Acts are complementary Acts born of the same Bill debated and passed by Parliament. Do you believe the parliamentarians who passed this legislation would knowingly include clauses in one Act, the effect of which would be to totally nullify clauses in the other? If your answer to any of these questions is 'NO' we ask that you support our efforts to regain the same public access - with no added restrictions or conditions - to Historic Census records after 1906 that is currently available for 240 years of Census records up to that time. We seek nothing new. We seek only that which current legislation states we are entitled to - access that we have had in the past but is currently (believed illegally) withheld from us by the Chief Statistician of Canada. We ask that you call upon the Government of Canada to immediately direct the Chief Statistician of Canada to obey the Laws of Canada. We ask that he be directed to return care and control of schedules of Historic Census to the Librarian and Archivist of Canada for subsequent public access in accordance with the Access to Information and Privacy Acts. We ask further that you ensure continued public access to Historic Census records by seeking a government Bill that would add to the Statistics Act a single clause, similar to the following: "Original schedules of Census or authentic copies thereof shall, not later than thirty (30) years following collection, be transferred to the care and control of the National Archivist for subsequent public access in accordance with provisions of the Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Regulations attached thereto." In reading my letter you may not feel any obligation to respond to someone living outside your electoral riding. The votes you cast in Parliament, however, affect all people living in Canada and in that respect your constituency is all of Canada. Considering this, even though I do not reside in your riding I would greatly appreciate your personal response to my letter. Your response, stating your support (or otherwise) of the access we seek, will be posted to your Correspondence Log on the Post 1901 Census Project website. It will be available for viewing by your constituents on the MPs Scoreboard at www.globalgenealogy.com/Census Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, and for your consideration of this very important issue. Respectfully Gordon A. Watts 09/20/2002 - email to MP Bill Graham from Frank McKerry.
To: Bill Graham, MP Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 3:48 PM Subject: Post 1901 Census Mr. Bill Graham, M.P. Toronto Centre-Rosedale: It is noted on the Post 1901 Census Site that you have not replied to their request to support the Vote in the House on the release of the Post 1901 Census from Statistics Canada to Archives Canada and make them available to the public. The request was for a Yes, No or Undecided at this time. You have failed to reply to any of the many request for your answer. The Committee running this campaign would like to have an answer from you, so that they can gauge their strength on this Bill that will be once again coming back to the floor of the House. Have you taken the opportunity to ask any of your constituents about this Bill ? Many of them are waiting after many years of stand-offs, put-offs, and rangling with the Director of Statistics Canada, who has tried every way he can to block the release of these Census. Would you please take a minute and answer if you are in favour of this Bill and will support it, or will vote against it, when it comes to the floor of the House ? Many of your constituents that sent you to the House to represent them are awaiting the release of these Census to complete their family tree and ancestry, please don't let them down. Not being one of your constituents, but researching family in your area, the vote you make will have an effect on me and many others in Canada and around the world, so please vote YES. Respectfully M. Frank McKerry C.D. Vernon, B.C. 07/20/2001 - email to MP Bill Graham from Muriel M. Davidson.
To: Bill Graham, MP Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 9:09 PM Subject: April 1999 was a LONG Time Ago!!!!! To Bill Graham, MP:- Periodically I check the personal message board of the elected Members of Parliament, especially the Ontario ones. This evening I was surprised to learn you have been unable to answer the first letter sent to you in April, 1999 -- surely someone could have helped you write it during this time period. YOU have a personal message board -- yours messages are ?missing? http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score3.htm#ONT Just click on your name and read the non-existent mail. QUESTION: As an elected Member of Parliament, serving the constituents who elected you, will you SUPPORT release of Post-1901 Canadian Census Records by voting YES to any Bill, Motion on this subject? This would mean the 1911 census would be available from National Archives in 2003, and every ten years thereafter. We do suggest you discuss this subject with constituents, be dictated to by them, rather than others, as many seem to be doing. Census records are needed for family searches, one large one the 100,000 British Home Children brought here as "slave labourers" over a period of time. We also need the census for genetically inherited diseases -- just this evening, I learned of another family member with Alzheimer's -- my husband has vascular dementia. Looking forward to a very POSITIVE reply from you -- it may be by e-mail, will be posted immediately by Gordon Watts on your board. Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 06/19/2001 - email to MP Bill Graham from Muriel M. Davidson.
To: Bill Graham, MP Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 5:55 PM Subject: YOU have never even replied to Global Gazette!! To Bill Graham, MP Your personal message board is there for many to read -- does not take much time -- have YOU ever asked YOUR constituents if they desired census records released for family research? http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score3.htm#ONT QUESTION:- Will you SUPPORT any bills and motions, as an elected member of Parliament representing your constituents, that will see the Post-1901 census records released automatically to National Archives? The Prairie Provinces have never had a Canadian census, the 1911 should be released in 2003, etc. This is the FIFTH time I have written -- I only need a short email that will not take up too much of your long vacation. Your answer will then be posted. Prior to opening of Parliament on Sept. 19th, we will be publishing names of all elected Members of Parliament who have not answered. This is a serious and involved issue - one that should not be taken lightly. As a volunteer on this committee, my riding is CANADA. Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 04/30/99- e-mail from The Global Gazette to MP
A web site has been posted at http://globalgenealogy.com/census to record MP's responses, so that those who are interested, will know the position that their elected representative has (or has not expressed) on the issue. Also included on the web site, is a correspondence log for each Member of Parliament, which will contain responses to this e-mail plus any other correspondence from the MP. The Question: "Would you, as an elected Member of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada, vote FOR or AGAINST a Bill supporting release to the Public, of Post 1901 Census Records, 92 years after they were recorded. ( 1911 census information available in 2003, 1921 in 2013 etc)" If you would like to expand on your position, your entire response will be posted to your individual correspondence log. The Post 1901 Census web site is sponsored by Global Genealogy & History Bookstore. A vast number of e-mails and calls from subscribers and web site visitors, clearly demonstrates that this issue is extremely important to them. Many readers have expressed that their current MP's position on this issue will weigh heavily in their decision process during the next election. |
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