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EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD
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PROCEEDINGS OF CANADA'S HOUSE OF COMMONS

The following extracts have been taken from Hansard Records
of Canada's House of Commons for the 37th Parliament of Canada:

Debates of the House of Commons (Hansard)
1st Session, 37th Parliament,
NUMBER 065
Friday, May 18, 2001
The Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker

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ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

CENSUS RECORDS

Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough, PC): Mr. Speaker, yesterday a class action suit was filed against the crown claiming that the long form of the census violates a person's right to privacy and discriminates against 20% of the population.

Statistics Canada has told complainants they would be taped and possibly jailed or fined for not co-operating. The long form of the census requires sensitive information, including mental infirmity, sexual orientation, mortgage payments and family time be filed.

How does the government justify this collection of detailed and intimate information? And, who guarantees the security of this big brother privacy intrusion?

Hon. Herb Gray (Deputy Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the form of the census is established and carried out by Statistics Canada which operates to some degree at arm's length from the government. It is a highly respected agency that has a firstclass record of protecting the privacy of its information and I am sure that will continue.

Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough, PC): Mr. Speaker, this is not very reassuring.

Given the class action filed in Quebec, can the government inform this House as to whether legal opinions were sought on the content of these questions before they were made public?

What assurance can the government give us that these questions are not in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

Hon. Herb Gray (Deputy Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the privacy legislation will be respected and we will act according to the law. If there are questions about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the courts will be the ones to settle them.