Statement made on 27 September 2010 by Senator Jim Munson
Hon. Jim Munson:
That must be an interesting cabinet meeting where the Prime Minister asks the question: All those who are in favour of the way I think say "yea." He can achieve consensus that way. As he said this summer, "I make the rules."
Honourable senators, the Liberal Party of Canada in the other place tabled a motion calling on the government to reinstate the long-form census and introduce legislative amendments to the Statistics Act in order to remove the provision for imprisonment that my honourable friends keep talking about. Tony Clement, the Minister of Industry, has been citing this provision as the reason for eliminating the long-form census. He even misled Canadians, and the leader knows it, by suggesting that the Liberal Party is willing to force, coerce and use jail time and fines in support of its use. The leader knows this is untrue.
The question for the leader is: Shall we expect her government's support for the amendment of the Statistics Act in order to remove the provision for imprisonment? We are looking for compromises here. We are looking to keep the long-form census and maintain it.
Please click here to read the full text of the Senator's question