What I told the CBC journalist however is that I cannot say for sure today, four years later, what proportion of those emails were complaints against the questions or the compulsory character of the census. Another campaign was going on at the same time by groups opposed to a contract that Statistics Canada had awarded to the American firm Lockheed Martin to manage some data. All these emails were identical but sent by different people.
Quote:
I had clearly indicated when I made this declaration back in July that these emails had been received at my MP office on the Hill and not at my minister’s office.
Which makes more sense. The email I use to contact my MP is her MP office email (and/or her constituency office), never her Minister of State/Parliamentary Secretary email.
Ottawaman, if you read the link I posted, Bernier discusses that 2006 letter as well:
Quote:
Again, there is not much new in this “revelation”. I continue to believe the same thing. However, I also believe that the coercive nature of the census is unwarranted. I had been named Industry minister a few months earlier when I signed that letter and most of the decisions regarding the census had been taken by my predecessor. Since then, I have had time to reflect upon it and yes, I have changed my mind when it comes to the threat of a fine or jail time for those who refuse to fill it. This is why I am convinced that my government is doing the right thing.
This position is entirely consistent with everything I have been saying or writing for many years on the importance of individual freedom, a principle which motivates my whole involvement in politics..
While I agree that it's ludicrous to threaten citizens with jail if they don't fill out government forms correctly, exactly ZERO people complained about this. So the government has simply been lying about this issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hayesk
However, as I said in my last post, if you have a problem with the coercive nature (although nobody has ever been jailed for failing to complete their census form), fair enough. We simply disagree on the point that in order for our society to function, its citizens must have some responsibilities toward it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kosh
Strange, I've never heard of anyone being bullied for their form and I would imagine they would call first with a friendly reminder. The only thing I've seen is advertisements to send it in.
Perhaps those comments above are not exactly true:
Sask. woman could face jail time for refusing to fill out census
Quote:
SASKATOON — Following a bitter debate this past summer in which the federal government said it didn't want people threatened with jail time for refusing to answer the long-form census, a Saskatoon woman was found guilty Thursday of doing just that.
"I'm stunned," Sandra Finley said outside Saskatoon provincial court immediately after the verdict.
Finley, who is facing a penalty that could range from a $500 fine to three months in jail, said she will study the written decision as soon as she can and discuss with her lawyer whether to file an appeal.
She'll be back in court Jan. 20 for a sentencing hearing.
Finley was found guilty of failing to fill out the long-form census in 2006.
NOTICE: If you see links to ads in the above post, blame the ad-linking software used by the owners of this website. I do not endorse these ad links. Don't click on them.
Linear Mode
