It may be of interest to some that the Advisory Council on Public Records and Archives (ACPRA) October 1998 statement about the closure of census records stated-
"The Council considered the appropriateness of the closure period of 100 years which applied to the decennial census of population. It concluded that since undertakings of confidentiality had been given in the past by successive governments to people making returns, any reduction in the closure period for censuses up to that taken in 1991 would be a breach of confidence. It also felt, however, that a shorter period, of 80 years for instance, might be appropriate for future censuses."
Now considering that the undertakings of confidentiality for 100 years only appeared on census schedules in 1981, 1991 and 2001 and that the undertakings on the 1981 and 1991 census were as admitted in parliament unauthorised.
This is shown by the letter the then Registrar General wrote to parliament (dated 14 March 2005) in which he stated-
"In an attempt to simplify the confidentiality message on the front of the 1981 and the 1991 Census forms, the assurances, as worded, stated that the Registrar General had authority himself to retain the records for 100 years. This pledge asserts authority that the Registrar General does not have."
We therefore have the situation where the census is being withheld against the recommendations of the ACPRA in an effort to save the embarrassment of parliament who supported legislation based on false assurances from the Registrar General who later informed parliament he was not authorised to give the assurances.
Perhaps those who oppose the census being released should consider who was actually deceived.
Was it our ancestors or is it the present population who have been misguided?
Cheers
Guy
