By CBC News

Liberal MP Marc Garneau introduced a motion in the House of Commons Tuesday calling on the federal government to reinstate the mandatory long-form census, despite continuing insistence by the Conservatives that it is intrusive and unnecessary.
 
The Liberals, along with the Bloc Qubcois and NDP, argue the 40-page version of the census provides valuable data that economists, social agencies and municipalities use in making policy decisions.
 
"Why is it that this government did not realize that by switching from a compulsory census to a voluntary census that they would be jeopardizing this priceless database?" Garneau demanded. "It was clearly a bad decision."
 
"There have been over 350 well-respected groups that have said 'Stop this insanity. Do not do this. This is the wrong thing to do,'" he said.
 
Conservatives remain undeterred, however, reiterating their position that the census demands too much private information from Canadian citizens.

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