The Liberal Party of Canada welcomes the Federal Court’s decision to expedite the hearing for the application of an injunction from the Canadian Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities to block the decision by the Conservative government to make the 2011 long-form census voluntary, said Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
“Cutting the mandatory long-form census would have led to a serious injustice to Francophone and Acadian communities across the country. It is critically important that we have reliable and representative statistics in order to define the programs and services designed for Francophones, otherwise there will be a decline in the vitality of the French language across Canada,” said the Leader of the Opposition.
“The Harper government must recognize the importance of the detailed form and stop using the threat of prison terms related to this civic duty as an excuse. All political parties in Ottawa, except the Conservatives, are ready to eliminate prison sentences,” said Mr. Ignatieff.
“This decision is a blow to the government. The court indicated that it retained the option to reverse the government’s decision. The Court therefore recognizes that the census decision could be illegal, because it will reduce French services, especially in at-risk French-language communities,” said Mauril Bélanger, Ottawa-Vanier MP and Official Languages Critic.
The Federal Court will hear the case on September 27th and 28th.
