After a spirited discussion Friday, Regional District of East Kootenay directors joined the growing numbers of Canadians asking the Harper government to reconsider its position on the long-form census.

The motion moved by Area C Director Rob Gay passed even though five directors opposed it, including Kimberley Mayor Jim Ogilvie.

Gay’s motion followed word-for-word a motion passed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that called for reinstatement of the long-form questionnaire in the 2011 census, removal of jail penalties, a review of the questions posed in the 2016 census and establishment of a panel to choose a new Chief Statistician.

Gay said census information “really helps” organizations applying for grants in rural communities and is critical for government planning on all levels. But Ogilvie and several other directors questioned the reliability of census data.

“You get more accurate information when it’s voluntary,” said the Kimberley Mayor, adding information obtained by the threat of jail is more likely to be untrue.

Area E (rural Kimberley) Director Norm Walter agreed with Ogilvie’s position. “If you’re forcing people to do it, you’re not going to get accurate information. They’re going to be mad and try to get back at you.”

Walter also pointed out that the long-form questionnaire is not being taken out of the 2011 census but being made voluntary instead of mandatory. The Area E director called the furore surrounding the census issue nothing but “political grandstanding.”

Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft agreed saying the census issue has become too political. “I think it’s overblown and I really don’t care.”

Sparwood Mayor David Wilks said he wouldn’t be opposed to removing the jail time provision from the census process, but added the Criminal Code would have to be amended to do it and that would be “an arduous task.”

One director asked if anyone has ever been jailed for not filling out the long-form questionnaire, but no other director responded.

But Area F (Fairmont) Director Wendy Booth said she supported the long- form census after filling one out herself during the last census. “I filled it out. I was pleased to do it because I understood the meaning behind it.”

Despite the opposition to the motion, it passed by a narrow margin with Area A (rural Fernie) Director Mike Sosnowski, Area B (South Country) Director Heath Slee, Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher voting against it along with Ogilvie and Walter.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Harper has given no indication he’s going to bend on the census issue with the mandatory long-form questionnaire in the 2011 census to be replaced with a voluntary National Household Survey (NHS).

The federal Conservatives went into the summer with a 10 point lead over the opposition Liberals, but the latest EKOS poll shows the Grits and the Tories in a dead heat with some blaming the government’s stand on the census issue for the drop in Conservative support.