The Honourable Mauril Bélanger, M.P. for Ottawa—Vanier, is delighted that the Commissioner of Official Languages is launching an investigation into Industry Canada’s decision to eliminate the long-form questionnaire for Census 2011.
“The simple fact that the Commissioner feels the need to launch such an investigation demonstrates the major consequence of the Harper government’s decision to replace the mandatory long-form questionnaire with a voluntary National Household Survey,” said Mr. Bélanger. “The Commissioner wishes to determine whether the government fulfilled its obligations under the Official Languages Act in making this decision.”
The federal government plays a fundamental and constitutional role with respect to official-language minority communities, a role that cannot be properly carried out without complete and accurate statistics. None other than Ivan Fellegi, the esteemed former chief statistician, maintains that the government would be losing important statistics and the ability to be informed by them in making decisions.
“The Harper government must reverse this decision,” said Mr. Bélanger.
Mr. Bélanger, Liberal Official Languages Critic, filed a notice of motion with the House of Commons Committee on Official Languages, calling on the Committee to take a position on this important issue for official language minority communities at its next meeting.
