| Name: | Mr. James Moore |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
| Constituency: | Port Moody - Westwood - Port Coquitlam |
| Province: | British Columbia |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-9650 |
| Fax: | (613) 992-9868 |
| Email: | Moore.J@parl.gc.ca |
| Website: | http://www.jamesmoore.org |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Consituency Address: | 2605 St. John's St. Port Moody, British Columbia V3H 2B5 Tel. 604-937-5650 |
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04/09/2001 - email from Ruth Sinclair to Gordon A. Watts. To: Gordon Watts From: Ruth Sinclair I received the following response to my letter from James Moore, MP for Port Moody Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam. I copied Brian Tobin with the letter also but so far have had no response from him. Moore seems to be onside with the census issue. Thank you for your correspondence regarding post 1901 census data. At this time there is no votable legislation before Parliament with respect to this issue. There is, however, a Private Member's Motion (160) which has been put forward by my colleague Jason Kenney. M-160 urges the government to do everything possible to ensure that post 1901 Census records are released sometime after 2003. That having been said, it is important to differentiate a Private Member's Motion from a Government Bill. A motion does not automatically produce a law when passed. I too find it hard to believe that restrictions have been placed on access to information contained in the 1901 and 1911 Census data. Given what I see as a marginal risk to personal privacy, I was pleased to learn that recommendations by the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records ruled in favour of releasing post 1901 census information after a period of 92 years. Unfortunately, I understand Industry Minister Brian Tobin has decided to ignore this advice and has recommenced further study of the issue rather than act upon the report's recommendations. The issue of releasing census data is one that my Canadian Alliance colleagues continue to study and I can assure you that I will act as a voice of persuasion in favour of opening up these documents to the public. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write on this important issue. It is only through dialogue such as yours that I am able to represent your concerns with the full appreciation they deserve. 03/29/2001 - letter from MP James Moore to Gordon A. Watts. Ottawa March 29, 2001 Gordon A. Watts 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Dear Mr. Watts: Thank you for your correspondence regarding post 1901 census data. At this time there is no votable legislation before Parliament with respect to this issue. There is, however, a Private Member's Motion (160) which has been put forward by my colleague Jason Kenney. M-160 urges the government to do everything possible to ensure that post 1901 Census records are released sometime after 2003. That having been said, it is important to differentiate a Private Member's Motion from a Government Bill. A motion does not automatically produce a law when passed. I too find it hard to believe that restrictions have been placed on access to information contained in the 1901 and 1911 Census data. Given what I see as a marginal risk to personal privacy, I was pleased to learn that recommendations by the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records ruled in favour of releasing post 1901 census information after a period of 92 years. Unfortunately, I understand Industry Minister Brian Tobin has decided to ignore this advice and has recommenced further study of the issue rather than act upon the report's recommendations. The issue of releasing census data is one that my Canadian Alliance colleagues continue to study and I can assure you that I will act as a voice of persuasion in favour of opening up these documents to the public. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write on this important issue. It is only through dialogue such as yours that I am able to represent your concerns with the full appreciation they deserve. Sincerely, James Moore, MP Port Moody - Coquitlam - Port Coquitlam P.S. For more details about my work in Ottawa visit my website at www.jamesmoore.org . Feel free to register your email address for up-to-date mailings and press releases. 02/21/2001 - email to MP James Moore from Gordon A. Watts.
Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario Dear Mr. Moore. Congratulations on your recent election as Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam. As one of your constituents I write to ask your support in our effort to regain public access to Historic Census Records. Under Regulation 6(d) of the Privacy Act, this access is allowed 92 years after collection. Currently, however, records for Census after 1901 are unavailable because Statistics Canada has refused to transfer control of them to the National Archivist. This refusal is a policy decision based upon misinterpreted Statutes, and Instructions to Officers and Enumerators of Census dating as far back as 1905. On 5 November 1999, then Industry Minister John Manley appointed an Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records. The Report of this Expert Panel was presented to Mr. Manley's office 30 June 2000 and was reluctantly made available to the public on 15 December 2000. Coincidentally, this date was day 89 of the 90 day period within which the Report was required by law to be made public because of an Access to Information Request. Current Industry Minister Brian Tobin greatly disappointed the Genealogical and Historical communities when he refused to accept the recommendations of the Expert Panel, stating that "further broad based consultation with all Canadians is needed". One wonders if he has, in fact, personally read the Report of the Expert Panel. The Expert Panel considered over 2,500 letters, faxes and e-mails sent to the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, the Chief Statistician, and various Members of Parliament prior to the announcement of the Expert Panel. During the seven month duration of the Panel, a further 1,055 letters were received from Canadians active in genealogical societies. The Panel received 95 submissions from historical, archival and genealogical associations as well as other interested Canadians. The Expert Panel considered draft legislation and motions before the Senate and the House of Commons together with related speeches and documentation. They also considered public opinion research commissioned by Statistics Canada. Results from six focus groups and two National surveys were considered. Briefly, the Expert Panel found that a guarantee of perpetual confidentiality was not intended to apply to the census. They felt that it had always been intended that census records would eventually become public and did not view any legislation deemed necessary to do so as breaking of a promise to respondents. The Report recommended allowing public access to all Census records, past, present and future, 92 years following collection. They only advised caution regarding any legislative steps that might be thought necessary to effect release of Census between 1921 and 2001. They suggested that any legislative change felt necessary be done in the National Archives Act rather than in the Statistics Act. I urge you to read the Report of the Expert Panel for yourself, and draw your own conclusions. On 7 February 2001, Senator Lorna Milne presented Bill S-12 to the Senate. This was a re-presentation of her Bill S-15 that had been referred to Committee prior to the dissolution of the previous government. It is expected that MP Murray Calder will shortly re-submit his Bill, numbered C-484 in the previous session of the House of Commons. These Bills, identically worded, if passed would give us the public access to Historic Census Records that we seek. As noted above, we seek your support in this matter. As such we seek your affirmative answer to the following 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). Should you have any questions regarding this issue I would be more than happy to discuss it with you. I look forward to your early reply. Thank you. Gordon A. WATTS Canada Census Committee 1455 Delia Drive Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2V9 Tel (604) 942-6889 Fax (604) 942-6843 11/27/2000 - Mr. James Moore was elected to the House of Commons 27 November 2000. |
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