Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside is criticizing the federal government's decision to scrap the long-form census.

Woodside told city council on Monday that city planners use data from the long-form census regularly and that the information is also used in other programs throughout the city.

"I have no idea why they're doing what they're doing and what they hope to accomplish other than an individual saying, 'the less information I give to the government the better,'" Woodside said.

'You have to appreciate that there's an impact on a whole lot of other people that depend on this information, that rely on it for making good decisions.'—Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside

"But you have to appreciate that there's an impact on a whole lot of other people that depend on this information, that rely on it for making good decisions."

The Conservative government announced in late June it would end the mandatory long census form for 2011 and replace it with a voluntary national household survey.

The federal government cited privacy concerns for the decision.

Since then, statisticians, academics, and non-governmental organizations across the country have spoken out against the decision.

The decision also led to the resignation of Munir Sheikh, the former chief statistician of Statistics Canada.

Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement told a parliamentary committee in Ottawa on Tuesday that the government has sought to find a "balance" between collecting data and respecting Canadians' privacy.

Clement told MPs the government recognizes the information gathered in the long-form census is "valuable."

"However, we also recognize that a balance must be drawn when the government is collecting data under the threat of fines or jail or both," Clement said.