Posted by
Judyth-2 on
May 15, 2006; 6:21pm
URL: http://civicaccess.416.s1.nabble.com/Re-Census-2006-statistics-tp583.html
Hugh McGuire <
[hidden email]> wrote:
>agree paper petition & letter-writing is best option. MPs are legally
>required to respond to paper letters, but not so with emails.
True but it goes even further than that: if an MP receives a paper petition in the proper form, duly signed by 25 voters, he/she *must* table it in the Commons and it becomes a part of the public record.
"Proper form" means the petition is formally addressed to the House of Commons and the full text of the (brief) petition is on the same sheet the voters sign. Signatories must also print their full names and addresses as well as signing, so that their signatures can be verified.
In terms of tactics, this means it can be a downright advantage to prepare the sheets to take only 25-30 names and have MPs table a big stack of paper each on an issue, or have them come in repeatedly to add more petitions on the same issue.
Getting back to the issue of census information release, the current census gives an option for people to authorize release of their personal data after 92 years and encourages people to check it off so their descendents can research their families. I suppose the idea is that people might want to remain unfindable until after they're dead.
Still, there is no earthly reason why the statistics, rather than the personal data, shouldn't be released to the public as soon as it's in the database ... except insofar as StatsCan makes money selling the aggregated data to private interests, whereas it would cost money to make it available free to all.
Can anyone think of a good argument for the government foregoing the income and assuming the extra costs, just so the citizenry can get access to information on their own country?
By "good" I mean one which would make sense to politicians who are both fiscally and socially conservative, rather than the ones that come naturally to us like the need for Canadians to know their own country better and the principle that since they're paying for the data they should have the right to see it. We already know how little those in control look forward to broader public access to publicily-funded information...
Regards,
Judyth
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Judyth Mermelstein "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC <
[hidden email]>
Canada H4C 2P9 <
[hidden email]>
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"A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
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