| Name: | Mr. Randy White |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
| Constituency: | Abbotsford |
| Province: | British Columbia |
| Telephone: | (613) 995-0183 |
| Fax: | (613) 996-9795 |
| Email: | White.R@parl.gc.ca or randy.white@shawcable.com |
| Address: | House of Commons, Ottawa K1A OA6 |
| Constituency Address: | 205 - 2825 Clearbrook Road Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 6S3 Tel. 604-557-7888 Fax: 604-557-9918 |
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10/30/2004 - email from MP Randy White to Michelle Knoll. From: White, Randy - M.P. Thank you for your emails 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 supports the preservation of census records and the subsequent transfer of these records to the National Archives for public release. We believe that keeping the records confidential for the historical 92-year period is an adequate length of time, and that this is generally consistent with the practice in Britain and the United States, where records are kept confidential for 100 and 72 years respectively. Please consider this my endorsement for the release of the 1901 census records. Respectfully, ---------Original Message------------ You are one of only 15 conservative members who have not yet endorsed the release of post 1901 census. I am asking that you reply in a favourable manner to my email so that we can have a solid show of support. Thank You Michelle Knoll 08/29/2004 - letter sent to MP Randy White from Gordon A. Watts 29 August 2004 Mr. Randy White Dear Mr. White 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 06/08/2001 - email to MP Randy White from Muriel M. Davidson.
To: Randy White, MP Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 7:04 PM Subject: 1999!!!!! Randy, it is now 2001 To Randy White, MP:- Please, will you drop me a line or two about post-1901 census records release -- your personal message board shows you have not answered the first letter sent by Global Genealogy. Check: http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score1.htm#BC Your message board, rather BLANK, is under your name. We would like to know, in a few words, if you support census records release -- I use these myself for family research, as do many others. Looking forward to your reply -- congratulations on the huge raise, but the PM should have kept his the same percentage, this is why many are so cross about his huge increase. Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee 06/01/2001 - email to MP Randy White from Muriel M. Davidson. From: Muriel M. Davidson [mailto:davidson3542@home.com] Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 12:01 PM To: Randy White, MP Subject: The Year is 2001 -- You Have Never Answered a 1999 Letter Mr. Randy White, MP:- I was appalled to check YOUR personal message board at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Score1.htm#BC You have never had the courtesy to reply to the April 1999 letter received from Global Genealogy -- WHY??? At present, Murray Calder, MP has PMB C-312 in the House, with First Reading passed. Senator Lorna Milne has identically worded S-12 with Second Reading in the Senate. I have been assured by others that the Canadian Alliance is solidly behind Post-1901 census release -- are you still a member of this party? Have you asked your constituents of Langley-Abbotsford riding how THEY feel about census release so their lost family members might be found? QUESTION:- Will you SUPPORT Murray Calder's C-312 when it comes before the House? We also ask support for Senator Lorna Milne. Looking forward to a positive answer -- in 2001, Muriel M. Davidson Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee http://www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/ 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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