Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
THUNDER BAY - I am sure getting rid of the census sounded like a good idea. After all, getting rid of the mandatory requirement to fill out the long-form of the census would save us all from the prying eyes of government by eliminating an annoying and intrusive infringement on our freedom. Well after taking a serious look at things and hearing from statisticians, economists, bankers, and many others it’s becoming obvious that the Harper government has made a mistake and should shelve their hair brained census reform plan.
For those who don’t know, the census is the government survey that is used to collect information and analyze trends in our society over time. The first census in what in what is now Canada took place in 1655 and they have always provided our governments, businesses, researchers, and charities with a snapshot of our society and help them carry out their work.
Every five years, the census is sent to homes throughout the country in order to count the number of people, families and average number of family members, find out what types of housing we are choosing to live in, the languages we speak and where we speak them, and to find out more about immigration and migration patterns in Canada and between our provinces and regions among many other things. There are other ways to gather this sort of information, but none that are as cost-effective, accurate, and effective as the census.
For some reason though, the federal Conservatives have decided that they don’t need to know much about our country they were elected to govern. It really is bizarre. Mr. Harper has simply decided that Health Canada no longer needs to know where the aging population is living in our country or how many of our elderly are living with caregivers. I guess the Conservatives will just hold a lottery to see who gets healthcare funding or throw some darts at a map instead of relying on all that scientific gobbledegook.
So why should we keep the long form then? Well for starters, the data that is collected is an enormous help to governments who are actually interested in spending our tax dollars wisely. I know there are only a few such governments left nowadays, but this information enables them to provide us with better public services, avoid wasting our tax dollars on programs and services that aren’t needed, and identify positive trends (ie: greater number of people graduating high school and college) and negative trends (ie: declining birth rates) over time so that they can craft policies to improve our standard of living. Businesses and charities also rely heavily on the census data to tell them where certain types of customers and donors are located so they can save, invest, and raise money as needed. In short, it helps governments and businesses operate more efficiently and more effectively.
While I support keeping the long form I also support keeping the completion of the census as a mandatory requirement for Canadian citizens. Like anyone else I am concerned about privacy, but we’ve got to be rational about this concern. Our federal governments have conducted some form of the census for more than 350 years and – shockingly – we continue to live freely in a democratic society. I’m also comforted by the fact that the ‘data’ is only useful at the group level and that the responses of individual households are of absolutely no concern or value to the analysts at Statistics Canada.
I see completing the census once every five years – and the long form version about once in a lifetime – as a civic duty akin to paying taxes or serving on a jury. Completing the forms takes just 30 minutes of our time and collects less personal information than is gathered by credit card companies, banks, and even some websites nowadays. Completing the census is an important public service that helps increase our overall standard of living and makes our government more efficient.
In short, I think the Harper Conservatives are becoming increasingly paranoid and inept and should be able to recognize that they have made a serious mistake by scrapping the long-form version of the census. I support the census in its entirety and the legal requirement to fill out the forms because the data is crucial to helping our governments, businesses, charities serve us better while saving our dwindling tax dollars and increasing efficiency throughout many facets of our society.
John Rafferty, MP.
A raspberry for the MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River for his lengthy justification of the Governments under threat of heavy fines and jail time asking in a census such imperative and essential questions of how many people sleep in your bedroom and how many to a bed. Or how many times do you and your family flush the toilet daily and how many rolls of toilet paper do youy go through in a month? According to yesterday’s Ipsos-Reid Poll some 50% including this Canadian feel such questions and other similar questions are a invasion of their personal privacy and none of the Governments darn business. Any one who does not believe the Government has more than enough personal information on Canadians or that the Immigration Department and most of the government departments for that matter be they Human Resources and such has very detailed information on Canadians in general and in the case of Immigration those that have been granted citizenship, is living in la la land or of a particular political persuasion. This Canadian and some 50% of us do believe that many of the questions asked in the census are a invasion of our personal privacy and reserve the right to decide as to whom and under what conditions we wish to divulge such information VOLUNTARILY! The government is correct in allowing at least 50% of us to do just that. Must we remind ourselves we live and reside in Canada and NOT Communist China,Cuba or North Korea.If anyone is paranoid here it’s those individuals or advocacy groups who are paranoid in their instance that Big Government has the right to either fine or put in jails those people who do not wish to divulge how many people sleep in their bedrooms and how many to a bed or how many times they flush their toilets.Now that’s what |I call paranoid!
“how many people sleep in your bedroom and how many to a bed”
One, unfortunately.
There are four beds, everyone living here has their own bed.
“Or how many times do you and your family flush the toilet daily”
Probably around 15.
“how many rolls of toilet paper do you go through in a month?”
Something like 48 rolls. It’s absurd but you tell people not to waste it and no one listens.
“Canadian feel such questions …are [an] invasion of their personal privacy and none of the Governments darn business”
It isn’t just the government that uses these statistics. Pretty much every charity and corporation uses them to make decisions. They’re extremely important to anyone making decisions regarding an organization, government or not.
The changing of data collecting standards with regards to the long form of the census removes the ability to compare trends from the previous 8 censuses to use long forms. It removes our ability to view and analyze trends, to make informed decisions about how government and charity will spend the people’s money and how corporations will serve their customers. It basically leaves us blind, deaf and dumb to the reality of this nation’s demography. It opens up the door for government to fabricate statistics or to pick and choose statistics from biased sources it trusts instead of using the non-partisan StatCan agency, which collects all of that data under some of the strictest requirements concerning accuracy and privacy.
And with regards to communist nations, the way the government just shoved this through without proper consultation of StatCan, Parliament and the people via a public debate preceding the decision taking affect, is exactly like Communist China, Cuba, and North Korea. It is undemocratic and it is unfair to the millions of Canadians who require these statistics to properly do their jobs.
You have good reason to be paranoid, George, but you’re going about it the wrong way!
Utter balderdash! Derek by his comments has joined Mr Rafferty in la la land.He also probably is of that particular political persuasion that currently is rejected by some 82-85% of the Canadian Electorate. The bureaucrats at Stats Can and at my favourite charity, the Salvation Army will surely appreciate Derek’s detailed and thorough bedroom and bathroom habits.and put them where they usually put such census data, in a appropriate file to be looked at again in the year 3010. For at least 50% of us Canadians that line of questioning is frankly none of the Governments darn business as is many of the questions in these forced census under threat of heavy fines and or jail time. We applaud the Government’s decision not to eliminate the census but to make it a bit longer but more importantly voluntary. A very democratic process and gives those of us Canadians some 50% (Ipos-Reid) the right to choose which personal question they wish to voluntarily answer to whom and under what conditions. As for the legislation that the Government has passed or will with the support of the official opposition and sometimes the 4th Party in the house, who we Canadians thank for their support of the Stimulus funding after voting against the Infrastructure funding. Many of their constituents complained bitterly that their riding’s where being left out of any stimulus spending and our Socialist friends had a about face. Derek there’s quite a difference in the Communist system and our very democratic system of Budget voting and particularly in a minority the Government must have the support of some of opposition members to pass any of their agenda . Which they have been getting and probably will for a year or two longer.The long gun registry bill as a example will require the help of some of the opposition members. According to Mr Rafferty and Mr Hyer they along with 10 other of their colleagues will against the wishes of their leader and most of the NDP caucus will be voting in favour. Good on them. They may also wish to cross the floor and join the Governmen It would surely benefit our City and NWO, To date they’ve benefited only themselves taking home a substantial paycheck and benefit package sitting in the back rows of Parliament in opposition for eternity. or as likely until the next federal election, collecting dust.
I can examine the good and bad aspects of an issue and decide where I stand on that issue. Instead of letting my emotions cloud my decisions, I am able to look at the issue for what it is and make a decision based on facts. I have done that with regards to this decision. I have decided that, based on what I know about the census and how it is used, that this is a bad decision, and I disagree with it. I can see how it would open the door for greater government manipulation of fact and through that, less democratic leadership.
For your information, I have never supported the NDP, and when taking online quizzes to determine which party I support, the NDP is always last. I believe that communism as an economic and societal model is completely contrary to human nature and will never work in practice.
You’re just making yourself look bitter and childish by accusing me of being communist, or supporting a party you dislike and expecting that to be interpreted as an insult. You’re over seventy years old now. Grow up.
I am totally in favour of the new shorter format census.
It isn’t shorter, I think it is actually a longer form, you just have a choice of whether or not you want to do it, which makes comparing it to previous censuses virtually impossible and basically makes the whole move pointless. They might as well scrap the whole thing.
I am totally in favour of getting rid of the mandatory filling in.
I am sure some of the new immigrants always fill things in truthfully that they have 200 people living at the address when the government cheques come in.
Some of the questions make no sense and a lot of them are down right too personal.
I always fill in all the questions but wonder why some are asked. Give me the right to answer the pertinent ones and leave the rest unanswered.
If a certain group feels they will lose funding or support have those people answer all the questions. It shows exactly how many need the help.
I think we could get rid of a lot of whiners looking for hand outs and in my book that is a great thing for tax payers pockets.
The census is Big Brother at its worst. The less info these SOBs have about us the better.