Report Proves Canadian Census Info Not Safe With Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to do advance work on the census and is a prime candidate to receive a contract to do the entire Canadian census in 2006. In October of 2003 Vive le Canada.ca asked users to demand that then-Industry Minister Allan Rock give the main census contract to a Canadian company instead. The site argued that there was no guarantee that Canadian census information gathered by a consortium of companies led by the U.S. defence contractor would not be shared with private U.S. companies or U.S. security agencies under the PATRIOT Act. Visitors to the site used a prepared form to send a protest email to Rock. About 2500 emails were sent, and the action received national coverage. Although Rock did not reply to the campaign, the emails prompted a form email reponse from the Chief Statistician of Canada assuring Canadians that their information would be safe.

Now the Washington Times reports that data from the 1990 U.S. census was used by NASA as part of a government study to profile airline passengers for the threat of terrorism. 5 million census records were used. The U.S. Census Advisory Committee is quoted by the Times as saying that the release of the information to NASA was "a major breach of trust."

"Unfortunately, our suspicions have been confirmed," says Susan Thompson, site founder and editor. "Our personal information is not safe if we go ahead and give the next census contract to Lockheed Martin. How can Canadian census information be safe if American census information isn't safe?"

"Giving Lockheed Martin and other companies access to Canadian census information should be viewed as a breach of Canadian national security."

Vive le Canada had threatened to organize a boycott of the Canadian census should Lockheed Martin get the main contract. Thompson says that the Washington Times report only underlines why such an action may still be necessary.

Vive le Canada.ca went online in January of 2003 to provide Canadians with information and actions related to protecting and improving Canadian sovereignty and democracy. The site, which is presented in a blog format, offers original columns, suggestions for action, polls, news updates, and links to related sites. The site is currently in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization.

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The Washington Times article:
Study Used Census Information for Terror Profile

To view the email form to Industry Minister Rock visit:
Lockheed Martin and the Canadian census

To view the Chief Statistician's response to the email campaign:
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20031027201452175

For more information about Vive le Canada visit http://www.vivelecanada.ca.

To schedule an interview please email Susan Thompson at susan.thompson@vivelecanada.ca or call (780) 624-5229.

Note: http://www.vivelecanada.ca susan.thompson@viveleca... mhurtig@telusplanet.net Study Used Census Infor... Lockheed Martin and the... http://www.vivelecanada... http://www.vivelecanada.ca susan.thompson@viveleca...