| Name: | Jack Austin |
| Political Party: | Liberal |
| Province: | British Columbia |
| Senatorial Division: | Vancouver South |
| Telephone: | (613) 992-1437 |
| Fax: | (613) |
| Email: | austij@sen.parl.gc.ca or jaustin@pco-bcp.gc.ca or mccans@sen.parl.gc.ca |
| Website: | http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/lgs |
| Address: | Senate of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OA4 |
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12/15/2004 - email from office of Senator Jack Austin to Phillip Riley. From: Boisvert, Jean-Francois December 14, 2004 Mr. Philip Riley Dear Mr. Riley: Thank you for your email dated November 15, 2004 concerning Bill S-18, An Act to amend the Statistics Act. Bill S-18 was introduced in the Senate on November 2, 2004. The bill is currently at second reading in the Senate, once the bill has passed second reading it will be referred to the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee. As you are aware, this is the third time this bill is being introduced in Parliament. The most important role of the Senate is that it gives careful consideration to issues of this kind, and that it provides a forum for access-to-information and privacy issues to be thoroughly examined and discussed before a final decision is made. This is what is taking place with Bill S-18 in the Senate. Please be assured that the Senate is giving the bill its full consideration and once passed, it will be sent to the House of Commons where it will undergo similar legislative scrutiny. Thank you for taking the time to express your views on this issue. Yours truly, Senator Jack Austin 04/18/2002 - email from Senator Jack Austin to Gordon A. Watts.
To: gordon_watts@telus.net Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 8:52 AM Subject: S-12 Dear Mr. Watts, My thanks for your letter and attached matter regarding S-12 and release of early census data. I have long supported Senator Milne in this matter. Senator Jack Austin 09/29/2001 - letter to Senator Jack Austin from Marg MacDonald.
I am aware that you are 'UNDECIDED' regarding the release of the 1906 and subsequent Census records to the public. As a Canadian citizen, I do support the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Access to Historical Census Records, and I encourage you to take a strong stand on BILL S-12, which will allow the publishing of the post 1901 Census records and any future census records as well. I have been researching my families' roots for many years. Without records such as the Census' being available for all to review, it make the search very difficult, if not impossible. These particular census are especially vital to my research and I'm sure to many others, since huge number of our forefathers immigrated during this period. The Expert Panel acknowledges that these records are important and says they should continue to be made available. I strongly urge you to support Bill S-12, making the information available to future generations of Canadians. If you have bery good reasons why you cannot support this Bill, I would appreciate knowing what they are. Thank you. Respectfully, Marge MacDonald Maple Ridge, BC 09/25/2001 - email from Senator Jack Austin to Doug DeWolf.
To: 'Doug' Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 6:43 AM Subject: RE: Canada Census Dear Mr. Dewolf: No problem. I support your position on release of 1911 Census data to the National Archives. Senator Jack Austin -----Original Message----- From: Doug [mailto:dougd@pacificcoast.net] Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 12:20 AM To: austij@sen.parl.gc.ca Subject: Canada Census Hon. Senator Mr. Jack Austin Please vote YES for release of the Census to "our" National Archives from Stats Canada, as in the past 235 years we family researchers have had access to these most valuable records (after 92 years). The refusal to comply with the recommendation of the panel to do so has a personal effect on my research. I have my family tree from 1770.... USA to Canada, but now have no way of knowing anything after 1891. The family has so far only been able to guess..... not good enough!! We need proof. Many members of my family have different dates, which leave us all in a quandary. My children want me to complete this & I want to also. They do not know the names of the relatives as I do. I believe I (WE ALL) owe it to our children to know where the previous generations were for our personal history & that of Canada. Although this is just one of many people's stories I hope you will consider this matter seriously & vote 'yes' for Bill S-12 ~ please for the sake of our heritage of this very young country & for generations to come, again I plead for your support with a 'yes' vote. Thank you Doug Dewolf Saanichton B.C. 09/25/2001 - posting from Lyn Duncan to Canada-Census-Campaign mail list re: Senator Jack Austin.
To: CANADA-CENSUS-CAMPAIGN-L Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 7:45 AM Subject: [CCC] Reply from Hon. Senator Jack Austin RE: Bill S-12 release Canada Census, Post 1901 Dear Ms. Lyn Duncan: No problem. I support your position on release of 1911 Census data to the National Archives. Senator Jack Austin 09/25/2001 - email from Senator Jack Austin to Patricia I. Corney.
To: "'Patricia Corney'" Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 9:42 AM Subject: RE: Bill S-12 - Release of Canada Census - Post 1901 Dear Ms. Corney: No problem. I support your position on release of 1911 Census data to the National Archives. Senator Jack Austin -----Original Message----- From: Patricia Corney [mailto:bluroc@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 12:17 AM To: austij@sen.parl.gc.ca Subject: Bill S-12 - Release of Canada Census - Post 1901 Hon. Senator Mr. Jack Austin As the American Daughter of a Canadian born father and whose Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins all lived and and are buried in Canada, I am hoping that you will vote favorably on Bill S-12. My father's mother was one of the British Home Children along with her sister to be brought to Canada in 1908 and 1909. My ties to Canada are great and as most Canadian Citizens, have a great need to be able to see the 1911 and later Census information to find my Great Uncle. He was born in 1849 at Godshill, Isle of Wight and emigrated with his mother in 1878 to Canada. He went back to England to get and wife and child and reentered Canada in 1884. I have found his immediate family death dates, but, as of yet, nothing for him. I know he is not still around, as we would all know him by name as the 153 year old man living in Canada. My father's family as well as Aunts, Uncles with their families will be on the 1911 Canada Census. Thank you for reading this and I hope you will take into consideration all of the people from all over the world who may have had ancestors who came to Canada and they are desperately hoping to find them. Without the information provided by Census information how can we find them. Canada is a huge country to try and find someone without a starting point, which census information would give. Patricia I. Corney Quakertown, PA USA 07/01/2001 - letter sent to all Senators by Gordon A. Watts.
Greetings. You may be aware that in the past several years a great many Canadians have been seeking to regain public access to Historic Census Records, 92 years after collection, as allowed by Regulations attached to the Privacy Act. Public access to Census Records after 1901 is currently prevented because of misinterpreted legislation and faulty legal opinions from Justice Canada that cause Statistics Canada to withhold control of these records from the National Archivist. In November of 1999, then Industry Minister John Manley commissioned a panel of experts to study and make recommendations relating to public access to Historic Census Records. Their Report was submitted at the end of June 2000. It was finally made public, because of an Access to Information Request, on 15 December 2000. Current Industry Minister Brian Tobin, on releasing the Report of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census, rejected the recommendations contained therein, stating that “further broad based consultation with all Canadians” was required. It is the considered opinion of this writer that Mr. Tobin has likely not even read the Report of the Expert Panel, and is taking his direction from Chief Statistician Dr. Ivan Fellegi, who opposes public access to these records. I urge each of you to read for yourself the findings of the Expert Panel on Access to Historic Census Records. It is available in hard copy, or accessible on the Statistics Canada website at: http://www.statcan.ca/english/census96/finalrep.htm en français http://www.statcan.ca/francais/census96/finalrep_f.htm 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 advised caution only 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. This message is being sent to all Members of the Senate of Canada to ask for individual responses to a specific question regarding how you would vote on a Bill supporting public access to Historic Census Records. An example of such would be Bill S-12, presented to the Senate by the Honourable Lorna Milne. Bill S-12 has received second reading and has been referred to Committee. Bill C-312, identical to S-12, has been presented to the House of Commons by MP Murray Calder. The Question: “Would you, as a Member of the Senate 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.)” A website dealing with Post 1901 Census has been posted at http://globalgenealogy.com/Census Among other things, it contains an explanation of the problem, petitions to download, links to various submissions to the Expert Panel, Bills and Motions relating to Historic Census, extracts from Hansard for the House of Commons and the Senate, and to columns written by myself that have been published in the Global Gazette -- an e-magazine published by Global Genealogy. The website also contains ‘Scoreboards’ showing the position of MPs and Senators relating to the above question. Your response (or lack thereof) to the question above will be recorded on the Senator’s Scoreboard located on this website. Should you wish to comment, or elaborate on your position, a correspondence log for each Senator is accessible from the Scoreboard. Correspondence to or from you that has been forwarded to me, will be recorded in this log. The Post 1901 Census web site is sponsored by The Global Gazette, an online magazine serving the genealogical and heritage community. A vast number of e-mails and calls from subscribers and web site visitors, clearly demonstrates that this issue is extremely important to them. I look forward to your early reply. Thank you. Sincerely, Gordon A. Watts gordon_watts@telus.net Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee |
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