A call by Cranbrook City Council last week to bring back the long form census questionnaire appears to be falling on deaf years as far as MP Jim Abbott is concerned.

At its regular meeting Aug. 16, Council unanimously passed a motion moved by Counsellor Diana Scott that the long form census be retained when the census is taken in 2011.

Ottawa is retaining the long form census, but unlike the past, it will now be voluntary rather than mandatory. This is how it should be, says Abbott. “Going about it this way is far more accurate and intelligent than if the system had continued by coercion.”

Abbott conceded Council's point that no one has actually been put into jail for not filling out a long form census questionnaire, but insisted that information given willingly is better than information give as a result of a threat.

The Kootenay-Columbia MP says more voluntary questionnaire forms will be handed out during the census next year and this should result in more accurate information coming in.

“Why not triple the number (of long forms) going out, advertise and get a better information base,” the MP said.

As a result of Ottawa's plans, the status quo will remain, said Abbott. “I think it was a very interesting debate they (City Council) had, but nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that we're doing away with the coercion, or the attempt at coercion that has been in effect the last however many years.”

The outgoing MP accused the national media of sensationalizing and distorting the census issue and some MP's like NDP leader Jack Layton of grandstanding.

“At the national level, there's been a lot of political grandstanding, but not at the local level at all. I understand the concerns people have and council has because of the bad information they have received. Jack Layton is calling for an emergency debate when we get back to Ottawa.”

Abbott said the federal government's stand on the census issue is not indicative of inflexible leadership by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Prime Minister's unwillingness to change a decision once he's made it, as some critics maintain.

“That's a caricature put together by our political enemies and I just don't accept it.”