There is beginning to be a lot of discussion about the decision by the Federal government two weeks ago to drop the compulsory long form census.
Armine Yalnizyan, a senior economist with the CCPA was one of the first people to raise the issue in an open letter to the Minister of Industry who is also the Minster responsible for Statistics.
Yalnizyan listed with concern many other areas where the government has simply stopped collecting information. She said:
These have all been political decisions. The decision to stop inquiring about the world around us is as political as the decision to ask questions. The issues that are no longer being probed by the government or Statistics Canada are not going away.
Without a foundation of reliable, consistent information, evidence-based public policy is impossible. It is troubling to think that our elected leaders think decision-based evidence-making is preferable. This may work for a time, but it is not a durable strategy.
Her letter can be found here.
Since that time other people have started to weigh in on the issue. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities letter can be found here. Comments from the Statistical Society of Canada can be found here. The comments from the former head of Statistics Canada are here.
There is an online petition to keep the long form census that can be found here. As of now 5,300 people have signed.
If you know of any other groups opposing this decision please feel free to post their comments here.
Susan Craigie // Jul 14, 2010 at 6:07 pm
So much of what is happening under the conservatives is ideologically based and not evidence based. It is frightening.
In the field of blood born pathogens inside Canada’s prisons, there is no data on transmission inside the walls. They have collected data on HIV and HCV infection rates among prisoners, but they do not collect any data on transmission in prison. Of course they don’t want to know, but it leaves advocates of harm reduction in a difficult position. We are left to surmise, from infection rates, and risk behaviors, to guess at something that should most certainly be tracked by public health, especially as it happens while people are in the custody of the feds.
WendiG // Jul 15, 2010 at 7:42 am
While no one with any sense could disagree that certain stats no longer being collected leads to problems in certain sectors, I personally found many of the questions on the long form both intrusive and designed more for marketing purposes than anything needed by government…they have been so badly distributed in the last few years that I haven’t seen one since the 90′s…guess tenants aren’t owners, so they are below consideration….
Susan Craigie // Jul 15, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Wendi, as someone who was once a census worker, it isn’t about being a home owner or renter, it’s about a random every 6th (or something like that) household. The questions were exclusively about demographics. I loved it during the last census when queers did a write in campaign about queer households since nothing was asked about that.
Keith Reynolds // Jul 16, 2010 at 9:13 am
Here is a good read. First, a quote from the article: “To turn statistical methodology into a political controversy, a government has to really screw up. But to make statisticians shriek and flap their arms like wounded albatrosses, to cause policy wonks to turn purple with rage, to compel retired civil servants to dispense with a lifetime of discretion and denounce the government’s gobsmacking jackassery to reporters … Well, that’s something special.”
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Statisticians+wild/3284799/story.html#ixzz0trWxl7nV
Jen Crothers // Jul 16, 2010 at 11:24 am
The information gathered from the Census is crucially important to every Canadian whether they realise it or not. The better the information collected, the better services can be targeted at those who need them.
The issue of privacy is a ruse. Statistical agencies take extreme lengths to protect people’s privacy. Much greater than any other business or government department that you would deal with.
When I worked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics we had a motivational poster saying “We’re number 2!” meaning that we were considered the second best Statistical agency in the world. Canada was number 1. I wonder if it is still that way?
Sarah Leavitt // Jul 21, 2010 at 11:15 am
David Eaves has a great timeline of the government’s explanations: http://eaves.ca/2010/07/19/the-evolving-lies-of-minister-clement/
WendiG // Jul 22, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Well, guess my neck is a little red, then, and frankly, can’t quote any policy wonks ..all I know is that privacy issues be damned, when some of those questions get too personal, I’m not particularly interested in the government having access to that info-especially the two I have to live with these days..
These arguments about the info being of dire necessity would have more credence if the census was done anonymously..not to mention the fact that citizens tend to be more forthcoming when not under personal scrutiny.
Keith Reynolds // Jul 22, 2010 at 1:44 pm
On one thing or another I would guess all of our necks are a little red. On this one though I do have complete trust in Statistics Canada’s rigid commitment to protecting our personal privacy and making sure the information is not used innapropriately.