November 5, 2015- Ottawa (Ontario), Today, the Canadian Library Association (CLA) is applauding the quick action taken by the government to reinstate the long-form census. In order to ensure the census can return for 2016, this decision was needed in a timely manner. The reinstatement will come without penalty for those who fail to complete the survey.
The long-form census was scrapped by the Conservative Party of Canada in 2010 and replaced by the voluntary National Household Survey. CLA joined a long list of critics who believe that scrapping the long-form census led to a lack of reliable, good quality data making fiscal planning and trend tracking very difficult.
“We are so pleased to see the Liberal Party make this announcement so swiftly after taking office,” said Valoree McKay, Executive Director of CLA. “This really is a simple decision that benefits all Canadians and we congratulate Prime Minister Trudeau and his newly appointed cabinet on the swift and decisive action.”
The CLA membership advocated for this as one of their key priorities during the 42nd federal election. Grass roots initiatives led members to connect with their local candidates to promote library concerns across the country.
“This is an excellent first step and we look forward to working with the new government over the next parliament on many issues that affect the library community,” concluded McKay.
-30-
About CLA:
The Canadian Library Association is Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers, and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy. For more information please visit: www.cla.ca.
For more information, contact:
Valoree McKay, CAE
Executive Director, Canadian Library Association
Phone: 613-232-9625 | Email: info@cla.ca
Kalene DeBaeremaeker
Public Affairs
Phone: 613-233-8906 | Email: kalene@impactcanada.com