Lawsuit filed against census changes

A French-Canadian group is launching a legal attack on multiple fronts against the federal government's move to scrap the mandatory long-form census.

The group has not only asked Federal Court to void the Harper government's new policy, but also wants an injunction that would keep the new type of census from being distributed this year.

It is also asking the court to fast-track its case so that it can be heard by mid-October, before the government distributes the 2011 census.

The Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada tabled its papers in Federal Court on July 26. The Canadian Press obtained copies of those documents Wednesday.

The federation argues that Ottawa's move violates not only the Official Languages Act, but also the Constitution's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It says that without reliable data about the francophone presence in Canada, the quality of government services in French could suffer.