Libertarians Protest Census

June 1981

On June 3 Libertarians in Toronto and Vancouver held demonstrations outside the offices of Statistics Canada to protest the 1981 Census.

In Toronto Linda Cain, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, held a press conference on May 25 to denounce the Census as "an intolerable violation of our civil liberties."

She attacked the $95 million cost of the Census, almost $2 million of which went to advertising "to gull Canadians into believing that they can choose to stand up and be counted, when in fact the only option they are given is to lie down and be numbered ... or else." About 150 people turned out in Toronto to protest on June 3.

Our organization in Vancouver started a few days later with a press release distributed on June 1 to announce the protest. GVLA secretary Marco den Ouden told the press that the Census was a "gross violation of the individual's right to privacy". The $95 million cost, he declared, was enough to buy every household over ten litres of milk or a roast or almost ten gallons of gasoline.

The press release sparked extensive media coverage, the most notable of which was a front page banner headline in the June 2 Province reading "Count Us Out, Census Resistance Group Says". Marco was interviewed by CKLG and CFUN radio stations, which carried the story several times during the day, and by KVOS-TV which ran a sympathetic news feature on their 10:30 report that evening.

Long time census fighter Walter Boytinck was interviewed on CKVU's Vancouver Show by Laurier Lapierre on June 2. Walter tried carefully to explain his objections to the census and his concern with a citizen's right to trial by jury. He argued that a jury would never convict someone on a charge of refusing to file a census form. But interviewer Lapierre constantly interrupted Boytinck and badgered him, barely giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. Lapierre concluded smugly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Walter Boytnick [sic]. He is a criminal." In spite of Lapierre's offensive conduct Walter handled himself quite well.

Many irate libertarians phoned CKVU to complain about its rude and inconsiderate interviewer. Several will be writing letters as well.

June 3 was Census Resistance Day for the local Libertarian movement and at noon several activists and sympathizers turned out to carry placards in front of the Statistics Canada building. The bright red and black signs carried such slogans as "Big Brother is Counting You", "Get Government Out of the Bathrooms of the Nation", and "Privacy is a Right, not a Privilege".

The press was there in numbers and several of the demonstrators were interviewed. BCTV ran a feature story on the census in their Newshour and included scenes of the demonstration and comments from the protestors.

The Province ran a short blurb noting that there were more press people than protestors but the Sun ran a photo and a fair report pointing out Libertarian objections to the census. The report quoted Marco as saying the Census had "a potential for danger. How would you feel if you were in Germany in 1935 and the government asked you what your religion was?"

The GVLA's foray into activism received considerable publicity and several new libertarian contacts were made. It should be considered a great success. Thanks and congratulations to all who participated, and a special note of appreciation to Marco who organized and coordinated the protest.