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Updated September 23, 2011
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Updated September 23, 2011
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Accountability
begins at home
Editorial
September 23, 2011
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's use of the words "if it matters,
measure it" at the United Nations this week has, understandably,
raised some eyebrows at home. The comments, part of a speech on maternal
health, came just as an essay by the former head of Statistics Canada
criticizing the Conservative government's decision to cancel the mandatory
long-form census was made public. Munir Sheikh,
who resigned over the government's handling of the issue last year, had
this to say in his essay: "No country can be among the league of
civilized societies without intelligent policy development. And, intelligent
policy development is not possible without good data."
Source:
Ottawa Citizen
Related link:
Ex-chief
statistician picks apart cancellation of long census
By Heather Scoffield
September 20, 2011
OTTAWA—The federal government cancelled the
long-form census with little heed to the consequences of its decision,
according to a new first-hand account of the drama that unfolded a year
ago. An essay by former chief statistician Munir
Sheikh says the census decision has shaken Statistics Canada’s neutrality
and independence, and put at risk the government’s own work in many
areas.
Source:
Toronto Star
THE ESSAY:
Good
Data and Intelligent Government:
New Directions for Intelligent Government in Canada
(full screen)
By Munir A. Sheikh
Excerpt from
the Concluding Remarks:
The census issue has put a pointer on the fact that the good outcomes
cannot be taken for granted. This paper has provided a list of issues
that should be dealt with, with some focused on the government and others
at Statistics Canada.
[ NOTE: The essay also appears in the above Toronto Star article. Click
"View in full screen".]
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United States
Don’t
kill America’s databook
By Robert J. Samuelson
August 21, 2011
If you want to know something about America, there are few better places
to start than the “Statistical Abstract of the United States.”[See
below.] Published annually by the Census Bureau, the Stat Abstract assembles
about 1,400 tables describing our national condition. (...) The Stat Abstract
is headed for the chopping block. The 2012 edition, scheduled for publication
later this year, will be the last, unless someone saves it. (...) It can
be argued that much of what’s in the Stat Abstract is online somewhere.
True — but irrelevant. Many government and private databases are
hard to access and search, even if you know what you want. Often, you
don’t. The Stat Abstract has two great virtues. First, it conveniently
presents in one place a huge amount of information from a vast array of
government and private sources. (...) Second, the footnotes show where
to get more information. (...) Without the Stat Abstract, statistics will
become more hidden, and our collective knowledge will suffer. Must this
be? If Census doesn’t rescind its misguided death sentence, the agency
could contract with some wealthy private foundation to support the abstract.
Source:
Washington Post
---
From the
U.S. Census Bureau:
The
2011 Statistical Abstract
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the standard summary
of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the
United States. It is also designed to serve as a guide to other statistical
publications and sources. The latter function is served by the introductory
text to each section, the source note appearing below each table, and
Appendix I, which comprises the Guide to Sources of Statistics, the Guide
to State Statistical Abstracts, and the Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts.
[ Excerpt from the Overview
]
Click the link above to scan the 2011
Statistical Abstract Table of contents
and download the individual sections in PDF format. Move your cursor over
the list of sections in the left-hand margin to see the content of each
of those sections.
[Most stats tables are for 2008 or 2009.]
Population - Births, Deaths, Marriages,
and Divorces - Health and Nutrition - Education - Law Enforcement, Courts,
and Prisons - Geography and Environment - Elections - State and Local
Government Finances and Employment - Federal Government Finances and Employment
- National Security and Veterans Affairs - Social Insurance and Human
Services - Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings - Income, Expenditures,
Poverty, and Wealth - Prices - Business Enterprise - Science and Technology
- Agriculture - Forestry, Fishing, and Mining - Energy and Utilities -
Construction and Housing - Manufactures - Wholesale and Retail Trade -
Transportation - Information and Communications - Banking, Finance, and
Insurance - Arts, Recreation, and Travel - Accommodation, Food Services,
and Other Services - Foreign Commerce and Aid - Puerto Rico and the Island
Areas - International Statistics
Appendix I. Guide to Sources of Statistics 879-893
Appendix I. Guide to State Statistical Abstracts 894-897
Appendix I. Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts 898-899
Appendix II. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Concepts,
Components, and Population 900-920
Appendix III. Limitations of the Data 921-946
Appendix IV. Weights and Measures 947
Appendix V. Tables Deleted From Earlier Editions of the Statistical Abstract
949-950
Index 951-1010
Map of the United States, Showing Census Regions and Divisions Cover
Earlier editions of the Statistical Abstract - right back to 1789!
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From The Daily [Statistics Canada]:
June 14, 2011
2008
Census Test: Content Analysis Report
Forward *
[The long-form Census questionnaire and the National Housing Survey]
The 2008 Census Test: Content Analysis Report provides
the testing results of the proposed questions for the 2011 Census, that
is, the 2A short-form and 2B long-form questionnaires. The proposed content
for the 2011 Census was informed by the results of ongoing consultation
with data users and stakeholders, thorough qualitative and quantitative
(statistical) testing, and evaluation of previous census results and other
data sources. (...) The 2011 Census will consist of the same eight questions
that appeared on the 2006 Census short-form questionnaire, with the addition
of two questions on language. It will be conducted in May 2011. The census
2A questionnaire underwent additional qualitative testing in Ottawa to
obtain feedback on the new format and the additional language questions.The
information previously collected by the long-form census questionnaire
will be collected as part of the new voluntary National Household Survey
(NHS).
---
* Hey, StatCan!
Forward is a direction.
Foreword is an introduction or a preface.
---
Immigration
costs Canada billions: Fraser Institute
By Chris Doucette
May 17, 2011
TORONTO - Newcomers to the country generally make less money and chip
in less in taxes than the national average. And allowing 250,000 immigrants
into the country annually is costing us all billions of dollars each and
every year, according to a study by the Fraser Institute. The study, dubbed
Immigration and the Canadian Welfare State, sharply criticizes Canada's
current immigration system, using earnings and other figures from the
2005-06 fiscal year reported by 844,476 people in the 2006 Census. It
claims the group as a whole earned on average about $10,000 more and paid
about $2,500 more in income taxes annually than those within the sampling
who had settled in Canada in the previous 18 years. The study also found
immigrants typically pay a little over $6,000 less in property and sales
taxes than the national average. That means the approximately 3.9 million
immigrants who settled in Canada between 1987 and 2004 are shortchanging
federal government coffers by between $16.3 billion and $23.6 billion
annually, depending on how many of those newcomers have moved back home,
emigrated elsewhere or died, the study said.
[ Comments
(105) ]
Source:
Toronto Sun
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From
The Fraser Institute:
Immigration
and the Canadian Welfare State
May 17, 2011
By Patrick Grady and Herbert Grubel
Abstract:
This publication provides an estimate of the fiscal burden created by
recent immigration into Canada and proposes reforms to existing immigrant
selection policies to eliminate the burden. It uses a 2006 Census database
to estimate the average incomes and taxes paid on these by immigrants
who arrived in Canada over the period from 1987 to 2004. It also estimates
other taxes they paid and the value of government services they absorbed.
(...) To curtail this growing fiscal burden from immigration, the study
proposes that temporary work visas be granted to applicants who have a
valid offer for employment from employers, in occupations and at pay levels
specified by the federal government and determined in cooperation with
private-sector employers. Immediate dependents may accompany successful
applicants. The temporary visas are renewable and lead to landed immigrant
status if certain specified employment criteria are met.
Complete report:
Immigration
and the Canadian Welfare State (PDF - 4.2MB, 62 pages)
"We propose changes in Canada’s immigrant selection process
that are not anti-immigrant, but are instead aimed at replacing the present
failed system with one that uses market forces to select immigrants and
thus to determine the level of annual inflows."
Source:
The Fraser Institute
Our vision is a free and prosperous world where individuals benefit from
greater choice, competitive markets, and personal responsibility. Our
mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive
markets and government interventions on the welfare of individuals.
---
COMMENTARY (by Gilles):
If you start a conversation with a statement like, "Well, I'm no xenophobic ideologue, but...", chances are that you are a xenophobic ideologue. The authors "propose changes in Canada’s immigrant selection process that are not anti-immigrant..." - to which I would add "...well, perhaps not anti-ALL-immigrants --- just anti-poor immigrants."
---
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I found the source reference below.
"The 2006 Census public use microdata
file on individuals contains 844,476 records, representing 2.7% of the
Canadian population. These records
were drawn from a sample of one-fifth of the Canadian population (sample
data from questionnaire 2B)"
Questionnaire 2B is the long
form Census questionnaire.
That's the one that the Harper Government ™ replaced with a voluntary
survey that, according to the experts, won't be worth the $30 million
cost.
Welcome to the Era of The Harper Government ™.
---
- Go to the Social Research Organizations
(II) in Canada page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/research2.htm
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Short-form
census makes debut Monday
April 28, 2011
By Bruce Campion-Smith
OTTAWA—It’s controversial, political divisive and could have
a lasting effect on how Canadians see their country. And it’s not
Monday’s election. It’s the census and missing this year are
the detailed long-form questionnaires that have helped many corners of
Canadian society plan for the future. Yet many experts warn that the loss
of the mandatory long-form census — and its questions on education,
employment and commuting habits — risks leaving Canadians in the
dark about their changing lifestyles and trends.
“That’s my firm belief,”
said Ivan Fellegi, who served as chief statistician at Statistics Canada
for 23 years. “But more important than that, we will not only have
less knowledge about ourselves, we will have the wrong knowledge about
ourselves because we won’t know what’s right and what’s
wrong."
Source:
Toronto Star
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Is census
data usable?
‘Our thinking has evolved,’ chief statistician says
By Steven Chase and Tavia Grant
February 14, 2011
This a full transcript of an interview with Wayne Smith, who was officially
named Statistics Canada’s new chief statistician last month. He took
over from Munir Sheikh, who resigned last summer amid the controversy
over the Harper government’s decision to cancel the mandatory long-form
census. The Conservatives defended their decision on grounds it was intrusive
and coercive to force one-fifth of Canadian households to answer a detailed
list of 40-plus questions on their home, work life and ethnicity.
Excerpt (the two concluding paragraphs of the interview transcript):
Q. Would you prefer the old system to this one?
A. Obviously, I’m a public servant...
Q. Has it (the long-form Census decision) made your job harder?
A.
[ Long answer: ]
It's challenging, obviously. We have changed course and changing course is obviously more complex than staying on the course you were initially on. But we have changed course very nimbly and we were ready. In terms of our ability to conduct this, we are ready. We have the systems, we've tested the systems, we're hiring the people, we’ve got the logistics in place, we're already operating, there's no problem from my perspective in terms of us being able to conduct this census. Relative to 2006, we had huge problems, we had huge problems hiring in some parts of the country in 2006, we're not seeing that this time around. The issue now, is, to a significant extent, in the hands of Canadians. Will they participate? If they participate in large numbers, if people encourage them to participate, if they participate across the country and relatively uniformly, we can get very good data out of this survey."[ Short answer, by Gilles: ]
Yes.
[ 125 comments ]
Source:
Globe and Mail
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Study on Open
Government:
A view from local community and university based research
Submission to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy
and Ethics:
Study on Open Government
By Tracey Lauriault
February 13, 2011
Source:
datalibre.ca
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The dénouement:
No penalty
for Sask. woman who refused census
January 20, 2011
Sandra Finley was found guilty of violating the Statistics Act that required
her to fill out the 2006 census. The Saskatoon woman found guilty after
refusing to fill out a long-form census has received an absolute discharge.
Sandra Finley was found guilty last week in provincial court of violating
the Statistics Act and faced a maximum fine of $500 and a jail sentence
of three months. Instead, Judge Sheila Whelan granted a discharge Thursday,
which means there will be no penalty.
Source:
CBC News
The issue:
Saskatchewan
woman guilty of census refusal
Sandra Finley says she's also concerned that
Statistics Canada used the services of a U.S. military contractor, Lockheed
Martin Canada.
January 14, 2011
A Saskatoon woman who refused to fill out a long-form census has been
found guilty of violating Canada's census law. A provincial court judge
ruled Thursday that community activist Sandra Finley's privacy rights
were not violated by the requirement to fill out the long form in 2006.
It's the same form, containing detailed questions about households that
the Conservative federal government now says should not be mandatory.
Finley was charged before the government made that decision.
Source:
CBC News
NOTE: The "Comments" section at the bottom of of this article contains 412 comments, the most popular of which was the following admonition from wise commenter "v0ci3cau3a", who wrote:
Canada asks precious little of their citizens. There is no mandatory military service. You can choose your religion, your school, your career. All they ask if that if called, you perform jury duty, and if asked, you fill out a long form census. You have to be extraordinarily self centered, selfish and unappreciative of all that this country and those who serve for it do for you, your family, your neighbours and your nation, to not fill in a census.
Nine hundred and eleven people agreed with this view.
I'm one of them.
-----------------------------------
Census
battle too important to give up
By Eric W. Sager
January 19, 2011
(...) Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided
that taxpayers will pay $80 million for a survey that may be of little
use. Instead we will get ongoing debates over the validity of the results,
expensive efforts to compensate for bias and more outrage from those who
require reliable data for efficient planning.
(...)
Of course the long-form census can be an intrusion
on our time. But since it goes to only a fifth of households, the odds
are that you would be asked to fill it out only once in 25 years. Is
half an hour of your time, once every 25 years, too high a price for efficient
policy planning and the other public benefits the census provides? The
fuss over the census is not over, because the prime minister's decision
is an attack on cost-effective planning, on evidence-based policy making
and on the right of Canadians to high-quality statistical knowledge of
their country. Canadians will continue to protest, and so they should.
[ Eric W. Sager is a member of the history department
at the University of Victoria. ]
Source:
Victoria Times-Colonist
-----------------------------------
Some recent Census news
from datalibre.ca:
* Race
Questions and the Census - January 11,
2011
* Census
update from Save the Census Campaign -
January 6, 2011
* Abolition
to StatCan Cost Recovery Policy on the Census
- January 6, 2011
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SavetheCensus.ca
Join the fight to save the Long Form Census
in Canada!
This website was created and is hosted and maintained by Social
Planning Toronto
Save the Census
Update - December 8, 2010
* Vaughan and Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette by-elections
* News from From Parliament Hill
* Liberal Private Members Bill to be debated Wednesday December 9th
* Minutes from, and evidence presented at, HUMA and Status of Women Committee
hearings on the impact of the loss of the Mandatory Long Form Census
* Media Coverage
---- December 5, 2010--Professors may need more funding after census changes
--- December 2, 2010--Federal Departments detailed potential census impact
a year ago
--- Other articles about the census and our campaign
* Save the Census on Facebook and Twitter
* Charter Challenge:
The Canadian Council on Social Development has joined with twelve other
organizations to launch a legal challenge to protect Canadians’ “Right
to be Counted.” Our Charter challenge has been accepted by the Courts,
however we have not been given a date yet for our hearing. We will keep
you informed of any progress on this piece.
* Donate!
Thank you for taking the time to read this important update.
John Campey (Social Planning Toronto)
Peggy Taillon (Canadian Council on Social Development)
Related link:
Canadian Council on Social Development
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Right
hook weakens Canada
By Frances Russell
November 3, 2010
The more tax fairness erodes in Canada, the more unfair taxation will
become. (...) Right-wing populism hurts right-wing populists most. As
low- and middle-income earners, they are the most reliant on the services
governments, particularly municipal governments, provide -- public transit,
parks and recreational facilities, libraries, police, garbage collection,
maintenance of municipal infrastructure, housing and front-line social
services.
(...)
This summer, Ottawa scored another huge victory in the right-wing war
against government. By killing the 2011 long form census, the Harper Conservatives
have ensured Canadians will no longer have the reliable data even to know
how quickly the gap is growing between rich and poor and how wide it is
becoming.
Source:
Winnipeg Free Press
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Speaking of open data Initiatives, evidence based
decision making,
accountable government and the long form Census questionnaire...
(Two presentations on open data
and open government by Tracey Lauriault)
OpenData
& Public Research
October 28, 2010
In Canada, much university research is supported by public funds and an
argument can be made that the results of that research should be accessible
to the public. (...) In Canada some data are accessible, but mostly data
are not, and if they are, cost recovery policies and regressive licensing
impede their use. The talk will feature examples where data are open and
where opportunities for evidence based decision making are restricted.
Open
Data Initiatives in Canada:
One part of the Open Government Conversation
October 28
Canada’s Information Commissioners have adopted a resolution toward
Open Government and part of the open government process is open access
to public administrative, census, map and research data...
Source:
datalibre.ca
- the most comprehensive online resource on the Census questionnaire issue!
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How
to Lower Poverty Without Really Trying
By Andrew Jackson
October 25, 2010
Followers of statistical entrails have known for some time that the incidence
of poverty (sorry, low income) varies between surveys. The Census - which
covers 20% of the population - captures significantly more low income
persons than does the annual Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)
which is based on a much smaller sample which is followed for a period
of time. The numbers for 2005 suggest that the
replacement of the long form Census with a National Household Survey will
lead to a significant reduction in measured low income.
Source:
Progressive
Economics Forum Blog
[ Progressive Economics
Forum ]
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PublicScience.ca - "Science that Protects You"
Government
Scientists Go Public: Website will Speak Up for Science
News Release
October 18, 2010
Today, the union that represents federal government scientists launches
a campaign to put the spotlight on science for the public good. (...)
The recent decision to end the mandatory long form census is the latest
step in a worrying trend away from evidence-based policy making. Restrictive
rules are curtailing media and public access to scientists, while cutbacks
to research and monitoring limit Canada’s ability to deal with serious
threats and potential opportunities.
PublicScience.ca
The site aims to highlight science done for the public good – much
of it taxpayer-funded and carried out by government scientists –
and to “mobilize” scientists and the public to pressure politicians
to support it. It features interviews with federal scientists about their
work, along with interviews with science policy experts. (CBC)
Part of what inspired the creation of PublicScience.ca was the cancellation
of the Long-Form Census.
PublicScience.ca is a new initiative sponsored by the Professional
Institute of the Public Service of Canada.
[ Version française du
site:
SciencePublique.ca
: "La science qui vous protège"]
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Australia:
A
guide for using statistics for evidence based policy, 2010
22 October 2010
There in an increasing emphasis within Australia on using good statistical
information in policy-making. This guide provides an overview of how data
can be used to make well informed policy decisions.
Source:
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Recommended reading for Stephen Harper's Office...
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Ottawa
spent $1-million to test run census before abrupt Tory change
By Jennifer Ditchburn
Ottawa— The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010A million-dollar test run, privacy checks
and extensive consultations on the 2011 census were all in place only
a month before the Conservative government decided to scrap the long questionnaire
this spring. Internal Statistics Canada documents
shed light on just how abrupt the decision was for the agency, which prepares
for the census and analyses the data over a period of seven years.
Source:
Globe and Mail
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BERNIER FAIL:
Conservative
census critic defended it in 2006 as minister
October 8, 2010
One of the biggest opponents of the long-form census within the Harper
government defended the mandatory survey as an "essential" tool
for Canadian society when he was industry minister, according to a newly
released letter. "Most of the questions that appeared on the 2006
Census long-form have appeared on many censuses," Maxime Bernier,
right, wrote in a letter dated Aug. 21, 2006, as minister responsible
for Statistics Canada. "These questions continue to be essential
for providing the information needed by governments, businesses, researchers
and individual Canadians to shed light on issues of concern to all of
us."
Source:
Financial Post
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Language-rights
groups hit snag in battle for census
October 5, 2010
OTTAWA—Language-rights groups have hit a snag in their campaign to
revive the mandatory long-form census. Canada’s commissioner of official
languages has issued a preliminary ruling saying he does not have the
power to reverse a decision made by politicians, and can only look at
how departments implement policy. Graham Fraser nevertheless slaps the
federal cabinet on the wrist, warning that it could be held accountable
if its decision to eliminate the mandatory long-form questionnaire winds
up hurting francophones living outside Quebec or anglophones living within
Quebec. “The commissioner remains concerned about the possible impact
this decision could have on the vitality of official language minority
communities and on the application of the Official Languages Act,”
says the interim ruling issued recently to complainants.
Source:
Toronto Star
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From Armine Yalnizyan
(of the Canadian Centre for
Policy Alternatives):
Ontario,
Quebec call census decision a “mistake”
September 29, 2010
Cabinet ministers from the governments of Ontario and Quebec have sent
a letter to Minister Tony Clement, calling the census decision a “mistake”
and asking that the federal government “reverse this course of action
as soon as possible”. The provinces, together, represent 62% of the
labour market and spend billions of dollars every year on training and
education. The Ministers responsible for those public expenditures point
out that the Harper government’s decision on the census will make
it impossible to reliably know how the labour market is changing, and
if the taxpayers dollars being spent on training and education is being
targeted appropriately.
It’s
Not too Late to Fix the Census
By Armine Yalnizyan
September 24, 2010
Everyone knows that the Harper government’s decision on the census
is destructive madness, including the Harper government. But there is
a growing sense that it’s too late to reverse the decision. It’s
not.
Saving
Statistics Canada
By Armine Yalnizyan
September 22, 2010
On September 9th, Canada’s Prime Minister received a letter from
Mel Cappe, David Dodge, Alex Himelfarb and Ivan Fellegi. It opened with
a stern warning that government actions with regard to the census over
the summer “put the well earned credibility and respected international
standing of Statistics Canada at risk”. Then they told him how to
fix the problem. (...)
Summer’s over. Parliament is back. The vote to end the long-gun registry
came and went, with the Harper team threatening to get more serious about
killing it in future. It’s time to get more serious about the other
threats we face as a society. The census decision
is one of those threats, for the reasons noted by Messrs Dodge, Cappe,
Himelfarb and Fellegi. Parliamentarians will find themselves revisiting
it many times this fall. There’s one simple way to stare down that
threat: Adopt the Fellegi amendment (for short)...
Source:
Blog : Relentlessly
Progressive Economics
Part of:
Progressive Economics
Forum
The Progressive Economics Forum aims to promote the development of a progressive
economics community in Canada. The PEF brings together over 125 progressive
economists, working in universities, the labour movement, and activist
research organizations.
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Tories
haul out 'coalition' label in census spat with opposition
By Jennifer Ditchburn
September 28, 2010
OTTAWA - The Conservatives slammed their political
rivals as a "coalition" ready to ride roughshod over privacy
rights, as the three opposition parties backed a motion Tuesday to revive
the mandatory long-form census. The Liberals, NDP
and Bloc Quebecois criticized the government's decision to axe the long
census as ideologically driven and harmful to decision-makers across the
country. A Liberal motion, scheduled for a vote Wednesday afternoon, was
demanding the return of the mandatory long questionnaire, minus the threat
of jail time.
Source:
The Canadian Press
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From Jennefer Laidley
of www.incomesecurity.org:
The Census form:
Reinstatement motion passes – Conservatives
will ignore it:
CBC:
Census reinstatement motion passes
Government shrugs off latest call for saving mandatory long-form survey
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/09/29/ignatieff-coalition-finley-ei.html
Globe:
Opposition, provinces fail to stir Tories from census position
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/industry-minister-shoots-down-ontario-and-quebecs-last-ditch-census-complaint/article1731919/
Post:
Tories ignore opposition motion to bring back long-form census
http://www.nationalpost.com/Tories+ignore+opposition+motion+bring+back+long+form+census/3599603/story.html
Sun:
Tories reject census defeat
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/29/15523871.html
They’re not budging – stubbornness over
leadership:
Star:
PM ‘confusing stubbornness with leadership’ over census,
Ignatieff says
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/868232--pm-confusing-stubbornness-with-leadership-over-census-ignatieff-says
Globe:
Opposition, provinces fail to stir Tories from census position
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/opposition-provinces-fail-to-stir-tories-from-census-position/article1731919/
CBC:
Carolyn Bennett launches PMB to restore census
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/09/30/liberals-census-motion.html
Hamilton Spectator:
Census lie exposed
http://www.thespec.com/opinion/editorial/article/262888--census-lie-exposed
***********************************
Thanks to Jennefer Laidley of the Income Security Advocacy
Centre (ISAC) in Toronto
for sharing the above links. Visit BOTH of ISAC's websites!
ISAC website:
www.incomesecurity.org
Social Assistance Review website:
www.sareview.ca
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Morale
at StatsCan cautious, Fellegi pushes for Statistics Act amendments
Methodological decisions should be based on science alone, not politics:
Fellegi.
By Jessica Bruno
September 13, 2010
The mood at Statistics Canada is cautious, seven weeks after its chief
statistician Munir Sheikh quit because he didn't agree with the government's
move to scrap the mandatory long-form census, say sources inside and close
to Statistics Canada. "I think everybody's holding their breath to
see what going to happen next," said Armine Yalnizyan, a senior economist
with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives who has been a vocal
national opponent of the government's move to end the mandatory long-form
census, referring to employees at Statistics Canada.
Source:
The Hill Times
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Government
study reveals significant errors in voluntary census
Simulation done before Ottawa scrapped long-form census found data was
skewed
By Steven Chase
September 9, 2010
A study conducted by Statistics Canada weeks before Ottawa revealed its
plan to scrap the mandatory long-form census found that significant errors
can creep into survey results gathered on a voluntary basis.
Source:
Globe and Mail
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Former
top bureaucrats ask PM to enshrine independence of StatsCan boss
By Kathryn May
September 10, 2010
OTTAWA — Four former top bureaucrats are appealing to Prime Minister
Stephen Harper to enshrine in law the independence of Canada’s chief
statistician to decide on how the agency collects data, including the
census. In a letter sent to Harper, the four say the government’s
decision to make the long-form census voluntary has damaged Statistics
Canada’s credibility and international standing. The letter was signed
by two former clerks of the Privy Council Office, Mel Cappe and Alex Himelfarb,
former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge and former chief statistician
Ivan Fellegi, who headed the agency for more than 20 years.
Source:
Ottawa Citizen
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How
Census-gate will change Canada - special
series
August 26, 2010
The Mark's contributors give 11 reasons why the controversy around the
future of Canada's mandatory long-form census just won't go away
* A Conservative Experiment in Faux Populism,
by Taufiq Rahim, Strategy adviser, political analyst, and writer based
in Dubai
* Canada: Now Easier for Harper to Change,
by Andrew Lang, Candidate, Toronto-Danforth, Liberal Party of Canada
* What NGOs Won't Know Will Hurt Us, by Jill Atkey, Research
Director, B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association
* Towards a Dumbed-Down Future,
by Alan Broadbent, Expert in urban issues; leader in Canadian politics
and public discourse
* Who Will Be The Next Chief Statistician?, by Armine Yalnizyan,
Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
* Paying More For Poorer Data, by Roger Gibbins, President
and CEO, the Canada West Foundation
* Making Neighbourhoods Unknowable,
by Janet Gasparini, Chair, Social Planning Network of Ontario
* Big Government, Bad Government, by Stephen Gordon, Professor
of Economics, Laval University
* The End Of The Enlightenment, by Jacquetta Newman, Associate
Professor of Political Science, King's University College, UWO
* Trouble for Transit,
by Kate Chappell , Journalist and commentator on politics and business
* A Blow to Community Health, by Frances Lankin, President
and CEO, United Way Toronto
Source:
The Mark - The people and
ideas behind the headlines
The Mark is a national movement to record Canadian ideas and propel the
people behind them. It is a collection of thoughts and a tool for facilitating
interdisciplinary dialogue and debate between outstanding Canadians.
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From the
Globe and Mail:
Census
burden 'colossally inflated,' MPs told
August 27, 2010
Gloria Galloway
Political posturing dominated a debate about the government’s decision
to scrap the mandatory long-form census at parliamentary hearing Friday
with Conservative MPs trying to make opposition members seem out of touch
with the common man and their rivals in opposition trying to make the
Tories appear out of touch with common sense. Conservative members of
the standing committee on industry, science and technology did their best
to trip up those experts called by opposition members to defend the mandatory
long-form. And opposition members did the same to the people called by
the Tories.
Source:
Science
journal attacks Harper’s ban on long census
Provides essential information for planning the future, professors say
in Nature journal.
August 25, 2010
Canada is facing international criticism in the prestigious science journal
Nature over the Harper government’s decision to stop requiring that
Canadians fill out a lengthy census questionnaire. Two U.S.-based statistics
experts describe Canada’s move as part of a global attack on census
taking that is jeopardizing a vital tool for taking the pulse of nations.
Source:
Globe and Mail
Police
take on Harper over census
By Gloria Galloway
August 23, 2010
The plan to scrap the long-gun registry is not the only policy of the
federal Conservative government that is causing consternation at Canadian
police agencies. The Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB) approved
eight resolutions when its members met in New Brunswick last week, including
one that calls on the government to restore the mandatory long-form census.
--------------------
From The Pope:
Census Offensus
(The Offensive Census)
Papal Encyclical
August 25, 2010
I am aware of the ways in which the Census has been and continues to be
misconstrued and emptied of meaning, with the consequent risk of being
misinterpreted, detached from ethical living and, in any event, undervalued.
In the social, juridical, cultural, political and economic fields —
the contexts, in other words, that are most exposed to this danger —
it is easily dismissed as irrelevant for interpreting and giving direction
to moral responsibility.
Source:
Pope Benedict XVI
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A
Country Founded On Statistics
With all the current wrangling over the fate of the long-form census,
we should recall the vital role stats has played in Canada's history.
By John Stapleton, Social Policy Consultant
August 16, 2010
(...) In 1871 the [Census] questionnaire covered a variety of subjects,
and asked 211 questions on area, land holdings, vital statistics, religion,
education, administration, the military, justice, agriculture, commerce,
industry and finance. Not every household answered all 211 questions.
In 1867, it was unthinkable that we would not want to know more about
each other. (...)Today, our national narrative is not defined through
print statistics the way it was back then. We have moved to new forms
of media that tell different truths and lies about ourselves. There is
now much more information available than we could ever hope to watch,
read or listen to. But if we do lose our statistical base, we will have
to face the fact that we will know less about ourselves than did Globe
readers on July 1, 1867. It's hard not to think
that that's just a bit sad.
Source:
The Mark
[ Open Policy - John Stapleton's website ]
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The
economist in Harper knows exactly why he's decimating the census
By Frances Russell
August 18, 2010
Industry Minister Tony Clement's tweets aside, Stephen Harper's Conservatives
know that changing the 2011 long-form census from compulsory to voluntary
makes it useless for public and private Canadian decision makers. That's
exactly why they're doing it. An economist, the prime minister understands
the value of statistics. He appreciates that authoritative statistics
on the relative social and economic well-being of individual Canadians
empower the disempowered to demand government programs (higher taxes)
to reduce poverty and disparity and promote upward mobility. He also appreciates
the need to dumb them down to facilitate stripping government back to
its core functions: a strong military to defend the nation abroad, more
police, prisons and tougher justice to defend the citizen at home and
an unfettered free market to create wealth and employment through ever-lower
taxes, especially on business and the well-to-do. Addressing social and
economic inequality should be left to individual initiative and private
charity.
Source:
rabble.ca
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Stand
up for good government, MPs (PDF - 34K, 2 pages)
August 2010
Mel Cappe, Pierre Fortin, Michael Mendelson and John Richards*
This op ed discusses the importance of the long-form census for good government.
It puts forward the perspective of several premiers on the federal decision
to substitute a voluntary National Household Survey. The authors call
on the three federal opposition leaders to agree on the text of a resolution
in defence of preserving the mandatory long form and to state their intent
to move it upon the reopening of the House of Commons.
---
* Mel Cappe is president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy.
Pierre Fortin is emeritus professor of economics at the University of
Quebec at Montreal. Michael Mendelson is senior scholar at the Caledon
Institute of Social Policy. John Richards is a professor in the school
of public policy at Simon Fraser University.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
[ Link
to the op-ed in the Globe and Mail, August 11 issue ]
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Harper's
Latest Step in Building 'Tea Party North'
His census stance is meant to fan
populist anger while killing a key tool for social advocacy
By Frances Russell Murdoch
12 Aug 2010
Cut to the scary bit:
(...) He [Harper] also appreciates the need to
dumb them [Canadians] down to facilitate stripping government back to
its core functions: a strong military to defend the nation abroad, more
police, prisons and tougher justice to defend the citizen at home and
an unfettered free market to create wealth and employment through ever-lower
taxes, especially on business and the well-to-do. Addressing social and
economic inequality should be left to individual initiative and private
charity.
Source:
TheTyee.ca
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August 5-6
From:
Jennefer Laidley
Interim Research and Policy Analyst
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
This is the attitude that arises when government sees society simply as a group of utility maximizing individuals:
Shawn Graham is unimpressed:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/nb-premier-lashes-out-at-harper-government-over-census-comments/article1664428/
Inconsistencies abound:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/08/06/taxpayers-and-the-census/
It’s a manufactured crisis, says Layton :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/parking-woes-top-census-fury-jack-layton-says/article1663269/
“It’s no big deal”:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Census+issue+life+death+concern+Tories/3362950/story.html
Conservatives miss document deadline :
http://www.nationalpost.com/Liberals+want+more+debate+Tories+miss+census+deadline/3362955/story.html
Carol Goar separates fact from myth – it’s
been death by a thousand cuts:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/844537--goar-separating-fact-from-myth-in-the-census-saga
Harper focuses on economy:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/844324--harper-focuses-on-the-economy-as-poll-numbers-drop
Harper ignores the census:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/05/harper-caucus-meeting.html
Lawsuit filed against changes:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/04/census-lawsuit.html
Injunction could delay implementation:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/injunction-could-delay-voluntary-census/article1662060/
Um, fighter jets vs mandatory census…. Which
one has broader impact?:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/844047--bad-policy-brilliant-politics
Bob Rae’s take:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/a-voice-in-the-wilderness-bob-rae-weighs-in-on-census/article1661579/
You gotta know that when the media start printing
unflattering pictures of the pols, they’re on shaky ground:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/whats-harpers-take-on-census-he-wont-say-just-yet/article1662335/
August 3, 2010
Questions on Census derail Stockwell Day’s presser:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/census-questions-derail-stockwell-days-economic-performance/article1660338/
He was talking about government’s commitment
to be “tough on crime” by spending on prisons, despite not having
stats to back it up:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/03/canada-economy-stockwell-day.html
Here’s what he said about the census – they’re
not backing down:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/843306--tories-won-t-compromise-on-census
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries gets in on the
opposition:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/August2010/03/c8072.html
Statistical Society of Canada meets this week and
launches a petition to save the mandatory long form:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-stat-crunchers-join-census-fight/article1659883/
Don Gutnick on the Fraser Institute’s involvement:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/07/29/WhyAttackCensus/
August 2, 2010
New questionnaire going to print August 9 – time’s running out:
Globe:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/time-running-out-on-census-compromise/article1657642/
Star:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/842655--time-almost-up-for-census-compromise
Statisticians gather for conference in Vancouver :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/number-crunchers-vancouver-convention-set-to-hail-statscans-ex-chief/article1657511/
Catholic bishops join the chorus of those opposed:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/30/tories-census-catholics.html
Ivan Fellegi explains bias:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/842176--voluntary-census-intrinsically-biased
The census helps demographers know – which one
are you?:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/842471--who-are-you-the-census-helps-demographers-know
Plugging Zerbesias:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/08/01/who-we-are-data-libre-and-census-watch/
The issue of privacy:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/30/privacy-and-the-census-its-really-not-all-about-you/
Census, homelessness, and gated communities:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/31/census-homelessness-and-gated-communities/
News from Calgary :
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/08/01/calgary-stampede-census-related-of-course/
Is it compromise? Or capitulation?:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/07/31/george-jonas-drop-the-census-charade/
Some census wordplay:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/warren-clements/like-jackhammers-and-foul-smells-its-an-assault-on-the-census/article1657561/
More opposition from Quebec :
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/30/c7617.html
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CPAC
: Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (video
on demand)
Topic : The Long Census Form
Tuesday,
July 27
NOTE: the above link is actually to the first of a connected series of
videos from the day-long event. The day's agenda appears below; each asterisk
is a separate video that you can only access by fast forwarding through
sections that are of less interest. Move
the video progress indicator manually along the bar at the bottom of the
video screen. To skip to the next video in the collection, move the progress
indicator
to the far right of the bar.
_________________
Agenda:
Committee Members met in Ottawa to hear testimony on the government’s
plan to make the long census form voluntary instead of mandatory.
Speakers included:
* Industry
Minister Tony Clement (first hour of the video; mostly tedious repetition
of speaking points...)
* Munir Sheikh , who resigned as Chief Statistician of Statistics Canada
on July 21 because of the dispute, and Ivan Fellegi, the previous Chief
Statistician of Canada
* Panel discussion:
--- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi professor Martin
Simard
--- Statistical Society of Canada president Don McLeish
--- York University professor David Tanny
--- Québécois Libre English editor Bradley Doucet
* Panel discussion:
--- Ernie Boyko, Adjunct Data Librarian at the
Carleton University Library Data Centre
--- Don Drummond, chair of the Advisory Panel on Labour Market Information
--- Paul Hébert, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association
Journal
--- Darrell Bricker, president of IPSOS Canada
--- Niels Veldhuis, senior research economist at the Fraser Institute,
via videoconference from Vancouver).
* Panel discussion:
--- Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner
--- Peter Coleman, National Citizens' Coalition president
--- Elisapee Sheutiapik, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami board member
--- Paul McKeever, employment lawyer
--- Marie-France Kenny, president of the Canadian Federation of Francophone
and Acadian Communities
Source:
CPAC (Canadian Parliamentary Channel)
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July 23-28, 2010
From:
Jennefer Laidley
Interim Research and Policy Analyst
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
ISAC website:
www.incomesecurity.org
You want privacy? Shut the bedroom door:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/07/27/scott-stinson-close-the-bedroom-door-for-privacy/
Three cheers for a hidden agenda!:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/radwanski/three-cheers-for-a-hidden-agenda/article1652329/
What happened at the committee hearings today - Clement
says he’s finding the balance, Sheikh says StatsCan’s reputation
has suffered:
CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/07/census-is-it-an-invasion-of-privacy.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/27/pol-census-clement-sheikh-hearing.html
Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Committee+grills+Clement+over+census/3327546/story.html
Pre-committee piece from Star:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/839407--tony-clement-will-appear-at-commons-committee-to-explain-role-in-census-crisis
It’s been months in the making:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harpers-census-push-months-in-the-making/article1651526/
Why’d he take so long to resign?:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/why-did-top-statistician-take-so-long-to-resign-over-census/article1652059/
Criticism of Spector’s position, and great data
and links:
http://www.jacobsonconsulting.com/jver3/census-notes
Munir Sheikh an unlikely hero:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/839189--census-battle-unlikely-hero-for-unlikely-civil-war
Here’s what integrity and leadership look like:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/munir-sheikh-shows-us-what-integrity-and-leadership-look-like/article1653405/
An independent mind:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/an-independent-mind-has-always-characterized-sheikh/article1649171/
Compromise urged:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/838880--compromise-urged-to-allow-mandatory-census-to-go-ahead
National Stats Council comes out against:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/840267--government-appointed-advisory-group-says-canadians-need-full-census-info
And proposes a compromise:
Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Statistics+council+suggests+compromise+census+battle/3323384/story.html
Globe:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/race-is-on-to-find-compromise-on-census/article1652599/
Here’s what the NSC actually said:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/26/national-statistics-council-on-the-census/
Globe editorial gets behind the NSC’s middle
way:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/remove-the-jail-threat-to-resolve-census-woes/article1652452/
Poll says Canadians like the long form:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/spector-vision/canadians-support-long-form-census/article1650650/
Cuts even deeper for disability advocates:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/scrapped-mandatory-census-cuts-even-deeper-for-disability-advocacy-group/article1650753/
How to get the information through other means:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-long-way-around-the-long-census/article1652670/
Flaherty’s position:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/flaherty-defends-tory-census-plan/article1651237/
Retirees not happy:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/retirees-wary-of-tory-census-move/article1651910/
Francophones and Acadians take government to court:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/francophone-and-acadian-group-takes-census-change-to-court/article1652480/
Steelworkers’ letter:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/21/usw-census-letter/
Letter from Census Committee of IRPP:
http://www.irpp.org/miscpubs/archive/census_coalition.pdf
Note: these are ‘strange bedfellows’:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/19/strange-bedfellows-invite-clement-to-work-with-them-towards-census-solution/
Concordia Student Union doesn’t like it:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/22/c6099.html
RNAO doesn’t like it:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/20/c5462.html
Ontario Public School Boards doesn’t like it:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/19/c5194.html
Quebec Community Groups Network doesn’t like
it:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/21/c5760.html
The debate in BC:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gordon-campbell-defers-to-ottawa-on-census-flap/article1652637/
And in Quebec:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/on-census-tories-fail-quebec-test-of-government-competence/article1653664/
What Ban Ki-Moon thinks:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/20/the-secretary-general-is-not-amused-what-the-un-thinks-about-census/
Why the census matters:
Star:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/839660--why-the-long-census-matters
Progressive Economics:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/19/the-census-and-inequality/
It’s the Tea Party North:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/839179--tories-tea-party-north
Harper and the history of the census:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/26/will-the-real-stephen-harper-please-stand-up/
Filling out the census is not so bad:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/07/23/i-filled-out-the-long-form-census-form-and-it-wasnt-too-bad/
Problems with European census models:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/european-census-alternatives-have-privacy-concerns-of-their-own/article1652595/
Voluntary census tested then scrapped in US:
Globe:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/us-tested-then-scrapped-voluntary-census/article1645137/
Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Voluntary+version+census+proved+unreliable+costly/3297456/story.html
What’s next?:
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2010/07/22/after-the-fall-whats-next-for-the-census/
Smart parties, stupid decisions:
http://www.themarknews.com/articles/1907-when-smart-parties-make-stupid-decisions
Anachronistic, coercive, and unnecessary:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-anachronistic-coercive-unnecessary-census/article1650049/
Um, who is being tyrannical?:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/census-spat-turns-tyrannical/article1649857/
The issue is control:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/839562--travers-control-connects-guergis-punishment-to-census-crisis
The issue is Harper:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/839487--walkom-the-census-kerfuffle-isn-t-about-the-census-it-s-about-stephen-harper
The spat over national unity:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/tories-attack-ignatieffs-national-unity-refrain/article1653475/
Corcoran’s take:
http://opinion.financialpost.com/2010/07/23/terence-corcoran-taking-leave-of-the-census/
The corner of Ideology and Reason (I think that’s
somewhere in downtown Ottawa ):
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/stats-crash-at-the-corner-of-ideology-and-reason/article1648768/
Why Stats Can isn’t independent:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/spector-vision/liberals-tories-made-statscan-what-it-isnt/article1649348/
Census decision is US-style dollar-store demagoguery:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/douglas-bell/tory-gruel/article1649354/
The Hogan’s Heroes defence:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/tories-try-hogans-heroes-defence-in-census-feud/article1650083/
Conscientious objection?:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/douglas-bell/the-silly-season-census-edition/article1652155/
Bad Politics 101:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/07/23/keith-beardsley-census-mess-is-bad-politics-101/
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Stats
crash at the corner of ideology and reason
Munir Sheikh had no choice but to resign as head of Statistics Canada
By Jeffrey Simpson
July 23, 2010
(...) The Statistics Canada fight is not the usual clash of competing
political visions, of left against right, of Conservatives against progressives.
Rather, this is a fight about rational decision-making that requires the
best fact-based evidence available against a reliance on ideological nostrums
that scorn facts and reason when they stand in the way of those nostrums.
Source:
Globe and Mail
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Here's an analysis of the situation that I find scary.
When
Smart Parties Make Stupid Decisions
By Paul Saurette Associate Professor of Political Studies, University
of Ottawa
July 23, 2010
The Harper government's decision to make the long-form census voluntary
is terrible policy, but there is method in their madness.
(...) One of the core beliefs of many conservative intellectuals and activists
is that decades of Liberal dominance in Ottawa has created an octopus-like
configuration of arms-length organizations with mandates to mine statistical
data (much of it collected by StatsCan) to discover inequalities and other
structural patterns, and then to lobby the government and Canadian society
to reduce these inequalities through social programs. This drives many
conservatives up the wall for many reasons...
(...) Many argue that changing the census policy is simply an example
of the government acting the bully – arbitrarily enforcing bad policy
because they are too short-sighted and stubborn to appreciate the consequences
of this policy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Rather than underestimating
the importance and impact of this policy, the government understands precisely
the central role this change has in their long-term goal of cultivating
a very different political culture in Canada.
Source:
The Mark - "The people
and ideas behind the headlines"
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From the
Business News Network (BNN):
The
Relationship Between Civil Servants & The Government (video,
6:53)
July 22, 2010
BNN discusses the relationship between civil servants and the government
with Michael Mendelson, senior scholar, Caledon Institute of Social
Policy, and a former deputy minister in Ontario and Manitoba.
A two-part discussion:
The Importance of The Census: Part One
(video, 7:40)
The
Importance of The Census: Part Two (video, 8:27)
July 22, 2010
The head of StatsCan has quit, saying a voluntary census can't replace
a mandatory one. BNN discusses the importance of censuses with Penni
Stewart, president, Canadian Association of University Teachers; Catherine
Swift, president, Canadian Federation of Independent Business; and
Peter Hume, president of the Association of Ontario Municipalities.
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Clement
won't back down on census
July 22, 2010
Industry Minister Tony Clement has dismissed growing calls for him to
reverse his decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census, saying he
and Prime Minister Stephen Harper are on the same page on the issue.
Source:
CBC
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StatsCan
head quits over census dispute
July 21, 2010
Munir Sheikh, the head of Statistics Canada, resigned Wednesday over the
federal government's decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census.
"I want to take this opportunity to comment on a technical statistical
issue which has become the subject of media discussion. This relates to
the question of whether a voluntary survey can become a substitute for
a mandatory census," Sheikh said in a release. "It cannot,"
he said. "Under the circumstances, I have tendered my resignation
to the prime minister."
Source:
CBC News
Thank
you Munir Sheikh
July 22, 2010
By Tracey Lauriault
Our Chief Statistician Resigned Yesterday. A first for Canada.
Full text of Munir Sheikh's resignation letter, which was posted briefly
on the Statistics Canada website until Steve made them take it down.
Source:
datalibre.ca
Our thanks to you for that, Mr. Sheikh.
You are a man of integrity, and a true public servant.
Related link:
Statistics
Shuffle (video)
["SYCOPHANCY" : See "Fraser Institute"]
July 19, 2010
Major changes to census collection in our country has [sic] many groups
concerned, including here in Alberta. Instead of a mandatory long-form
census the federal government will now supply a shorter, voluntary form.
The feds say they're responding to complaints that the census infringes
on privacy rights, critics say the information collected is vital for
health care, our economy and for long term municipal planning. How critical
is census information? Will the quality and usability of the information
suffer? And how will you be impacted? Joining us for this conversation
are Niels Veldhuis, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser
Institute and Derek Cook, a research and social planner with
the city of Calgary.
Source:
Alberta Prime Time
[ CTV Globemedia ]
NOTE: My reference to The Fraser's servile flattery is deserved, IMHO.
At last count, it was Stephen Harper and the Fraser Institute vs. the
rest of the frikkin' country.
Where's, oh where, is Marge Princess Warrior when we need her??
Also from Derek Cook
of the City of Calgary:
Donec
Prohibiti, Procidite*:
Building a Knowledge Infrastructure to Support Place-Based Policy
Derek Cook
March 2010
The author of this article in the March 2010 issue of the Policy Research
Initiative's Horizons magazine contends that the Harper government's
decision to replace the long form Census questionnaire is completely
at odds with the recent direction of Statscan and the data user community.
The article discusses a developing partnership with Statscan over
recent years that is incongruent with the new direction set down by
the ruling Conservative party. The article
speaks about some recent work of the Community Social Data Strategy
and the Quality of Life Reporting System on the joint development
of the Municipal and Community Data Access Initiative. "Through
these initiatives, communities work collaboratively with Statistics
Canada to increase access to information and more effectively engage
with senior orders of government."
[* Donec prohibiti, procidite = "proceed
until apprehended"]
Source:
Sustainable
Places
Horizons,
March 2010 <=== click for links
to 15 more articles on place-based sustainable development
(Volume 10 Number 4)
[ Sustainable
Development Research and Analysis ]
[ Policy
Research Initiative
The Policy Research Initiative (PRI) is a policy research organization
for the whole of the federal government specialized in early stage work
on issues involving several federal departments. The PRI bridges the
span between the policy research community inside and outside of government
and the policy development community within government on issues...
]
|
|
Earlier media coverage of the Census questionnaire
issue:
July 21-22
From:
Jennefer Laidley
Interim Research and Policy Analyst
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
ISAC website:
www.incomesecurity.org
ISAC's Social Assistance Review website:
www.sareview.ca
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You may wish to vote on the Census question.
T here are currently a couple of polls, one on the Globe site and one
on the CBC:
1) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/glob
e-online-poll-census/article1648059/
2) http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/
07/census-is-it-an-invasion-of-privacy.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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The Census:
Perhaps the biggest news is the resignation of the Chief Statistician, Munir Sheikh:
CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/21/statistics-canada-quits.html
Star:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/census/article/838401--statscan-chief-quits-over-census-furor
Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/StatsCan+boss+resigns+over+changes+long+form+census/3305442/story.html
On the implications:
GREAT column from Travers:
http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/838589
Globe editorial:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/federal-statistical-folly-in-full-view/article1647903/
The Opposition parties are calling for a reversal of the decision:
CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/22/statscan-census-tories-.html
Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Tories+grilled+over+census+changes/3309773/story.html
But there has been all kinds of other coverage of this issue over the last two days – far too much for me to include here (I can’t keep up!). But here are a few juicy ones:
The history of Canada ’s 345-year-old Census:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/a-history-of-counting-canadians/article1647613/
Ten ways the Census affects regular Canadians:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ten-ways-the-census-could-affect-you/article1646825/
Tony Clement gives his reasoning:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/tony-clement-clears-the-air-on-census/article1647055/
Carol Goar on the alienation of voters:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/838087--goar-busy-tony-clement-is-alienating-voters
Decision gets a drubbing in Quebec :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/survey-says-census-plans-crash-and-burn-in-quebec/article1647660/
Provinces not pleased:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/provinces-rally-against-ottawa-as-anger-over-census-mounts/article1646827/
Neither is Toronto Planning:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/22/toronto-long-census545.html
Creating Harper Hysteria (note the comment about
a “lame protest song”):
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/07/21/kevin-libin-census-move-provokes-harper-hysteria/
Here’s that “lame protest song”,
by the way, which has been featured in most major media for the last
couple of days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HThxOTtWNR0&feature=related
|
|
Here's the view from the
Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives:
* CCPA
Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan's open letter [June 30] to the
Honourable Tony Clement, Ministry of Industry and Minister Responsible
for Statistics Canada and Munir Sheikh, Chief Statistician, Statistics
Canada.
- includes some compelling reasons why the Census long-form questionnaire
is an important tool for good policy-making and accountability
"(...) This is not the first Statistics Canada survey to be cut or
compromised during the administration of the current government in areas
of inquiry that help develop or assess the impact of public policy..."
* Listen to Armine appearing on CBC radio's As It Happens - mp3 [July 5]
* An
account of the growing backlash to the policy, in Rolling Thunder
Census Review [July 9]
"(...) Clearly the vast majority of Canadians do not mistrust StatCan,
the Census of the government. But if this government works hard enough
at it, all that will change. Instead of standing by and letting that happen,
a remarkable cross-section of Canadian society - bankers and business
consultants, city planners, immigration and settlement workers, community
service providers, charities and municipalities, academics and public
health officials - is discussing how best to come together to reverse
this decision.
* A media roundup of top news stories and editorials on the issue. [up to July 12]
* Christian and Jewish groups join the debate in this New twist on census story [July 15]
* Armine comments as The Fraser Institute finally weighs in on the Census [July 16]
Source:
All
the latest on the census long-form debacle
[ Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives ]
|
|
Sign the Petition to Keep the Canada
Census Long Form:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-the-canadian-census-long-form.html
See who else has signed the petition so far
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join the Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-the-Canada-Census-Long-Form/141550925859979
Globe
and Mail online poll: Census
"Do you think the long-form census questionnaire is an intrusion
on the privacy of Canadians?"
As at Sunday July18 at 8am, YES has 51% (16124 votes) to 49% for NO (15536
votes)"
Surprise, surprise. Given the source of this poll, I would've expected
those numbers to be much more tilted in favour of the G&M audience,
i.e., hands-off-my-private-info libertarians.
|
|
2011
Census
For the first time in 35 years, the Canadian census will not have a long
form questionnaire. The Harper government decided to replace it with a
voluntary survey, the National Household Survey. No consultation has preceded
this decision. The consequences are important and the opponents are numerous...
- incl. 150+ links to comments, letters,
articles in the printed media, news releases, and more, mostly from Québec
Source:
Quebec Inter-University
Centre for Social Statistics
Click the 2011 Census link above to see
letters and
articles from supporters of the long form questionnaire, including:
* the Fédération des travailleurs
et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
* the Association of Educational Researchers of
Ontario
* the Canadian Labour Congress
* the Département de démographie
of the Université de Montréal
* the Statistics Canada Advisory Committee on Demographic
Statistics and Studies
* the Canadian Historical Association
* the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association
* the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
* the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and
Archives
* Investigation launched by the Commissioner of
Official Languages
* the Canadian Economics Association
* the Canadian Research Data Centre
* the Canadian Network of Metropolis Centers PPT
file ...
* the Cities Centre of University of Toronto
* Canadian Association of University Teachers
* the Canadian Association for Business Economics
+ Other Articles
Source:
Quebec Inter-University
Centre for Social Statistics
---
Canadians
must be able to count on Statistics Canada
Information allows us to make informed decisions
By RICHARD SHEARMUR
July 6, 2010
The government's recent decision to do away with the census's mandatory
long questionnaire might appear to many people as a minor technical matter.
However, it is a major decision that will substantially reduce the validity
of the information that we have about Canada, its citizens, and the way
society is changing. This move, which will increase our ignorance about
ourselves, will have long-term political consequences: As society becomes
less informed, it will be easier for the government to manipulate it and
to use its authority to circulate specious arguments and ideological positions.
Source:
Montreal Gazette
--------------------------------------
Version française:
Recensement
2011
Pour la première fois en 35 ans,
le recensement canadien ne comptera pas de formulaire long. Le gouvernement
Harper a décidé de le remplacer par l'Enquête nationale
auprès des ménages dont la participation sera volontaire.
Aucune consultation n'a été menée avant de prendre
une telle décision. Les conséquences sont importantes et
les opposants à cette décision sont nombreux...
- plus de 150 liens vers des ressources
pertinentes, plusieures en français
Source:
Centre
interuniversitaire québécois de statistiques sociales
|
|
Selected media coverage:
Census
changes 'indefensible,' retired top statistician says
Decision to axe long questionnaire likely to bias data : Fellegi
By Shannon Proudfoot
July 13, 2010
A former top official from Statistics Canada has
slammed the Conservative government's changes to the 2011 census, joining
a growing chorus of opposition to the move. The decision to axe the long
census questionnaire and distribute the questions through a voluntary survey
is "indefensible" and likely to result in "seriously biased"
data, says Ivan Fellegi, who was chief statistician at the agency until
his retirement in 2008.
(...)
Some groups such as aboriginals, new immigrants, those with low income or
education and the very wealthy are less likely to complete a voluntary survey,
he says, leaving gaping holes in the country's demographic portrait and
potentially warping the statistical results.
Source:
Canwest News
Service
|
|
A
census designed by 'drunken monkeys'
July 14, 2010
By Dan Gardner
(...) Apparently, the long mandatory survey was scrapped because it offends
the staunch libertarian principles of the Harper government. Yes, the staunch
libertarian principles of the government. The Harper government. The government
that thinks marijuana decriminalization is a Marxist plot, an adult who
agrees to consensual sex in exchange for money should be imprisoned, the
police did a fine job at the G20 and Omar Khadr can rot in a tropical gulag.
But requiring citizens to fill out a form that is absolutely essential to
sound public policy and social science? An outrageous violation of individual
liberty.
Source:
Victoria Times-Colonist
|
|
Good
information comes at a price
Yes, the census long form is intrusive,
but statistics empower Canadians
By William Robson
July. 13, 2010
Source:
The Globe and Mail
|
|
The
federal government is senseless on the census
Globe editorial
July 11, 2010
There's no evidence of a broad public backlash against the long-form census,
and the imposition on Canadians is not unreasonable.
Source:
The Globe and Mail
|
|
More media coverage of this issue:
July 13
Critics say changes could result in
biased information:
http://www.nationalpost.com/Census+changes+could+result+biased+information+critics/3268332/story.html
Official Languages Commissioner reviewing
long form decision:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/12/census-languages.html
Discussion is deemed “off topic”
and “irrelevant”:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/web-links-to-census-discussion-vanish/article1637899/
A cadre of morons:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/834998--census-too-important-to-gut
July 9
[United Kingdom]
National census to be axed after
200 years
The Census, the official population count carried out by the Government,
is to be scrapped after more than 200 years, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
By Christopher Hope
09 Jul 2010
Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, said
the Census, which takes place every 10 years, was an expensive and inaccurate
way of measuring the number of people in Britain. Instead,
the Government is examining different and cheaper ways to count the population
more regularly, using existing public and private databases, including credit
reference agencies. It will represent a historic
shift in the way that information about the nation’s population, religion
and social habits is gathered. The suggestion is
likely to be approved by Cabinet next week.
Source:
The Telegraph (U.K.)
|
|
Most
recent Google News Search
Results on the demise of Canada's
long-form Census questionnaire
|
|
From Jennefer Laidley:
July 8, 2010
You may have heard that the federal government is moving to eliminate the Canada census long form questionnaire and replace it with a voluntary survey. Your immediate action is required to help save this important source of information. Take action below, and forward this email to your friends and colleagues.
The long form was sent to 20% of households and is a critical source of information about diversity, employment, income, education and other characteristics of Canadians. It is essential to business, research, planning and good public policies and programs. Stakeholders ranging from the business community, to university researchers to social justice advocates are raising their voices to oppose this move.
You may choose to sign the petition AND join the Facebook group on this.
1) Sign the Petition:
The Keep the Canada Census Long Form
petition is at:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/37527.html
[NOTE: the plan was to send the petition on July 12 to Tony
Clement (Minister for Industry and Stats Can), the Prime Minister, the Chief
Statistician and opposition leaders. As at July 20 the petition is still
online, so you can sign if you haven't already...]
2) Join the Facebook Group:
Here is the weblink to the Facebook group
on this issue:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-the-Canada-Census-Long-Form/141550925859979
And here are some media links that talk about the importance of the Long Form:
Liberals condemn Conservative move on Census long form:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/07/liberals-census.html
Why you should care:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/why-you-should-care-about-the-long-census-forms-demise/article1630413/
Because it’s “dumbing down” democracy:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/833169--travers-census-change-latest-move-in-pm-s-dumbing-down-of-canada
Need more proof? Listen to Armine Yalnizyan:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/listen-ccpas-yalnizyan-take-census-longform-debacle-cbc-radio
Armine Yalnizyan also comments on the decision:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/ccpa-senior-economist-calls-statistics-canadas-census-decision-senseless
CAUT calls for reinstatement of the long-form:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/02/c9863.html
Genealogy site calls decision “ludicrous”:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/June2010/30/c9458.html
The Star says the decision is the wrong move:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/831021--wrong-move-on-census
Letter to editor:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/831901--census-tells-us-who-we-are
Statistics
Canada’s Senseless Census Decision
An Open letter to the Honourable Tony Clement, Ministry of Industry and
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada and
Munir Sheikh, Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada
by Armine Yalnizyan
July 2, 2010
(...) This latest decision [by the Harper government] scraps the Census
long-form questionnaire in favour of a one-time survey which makes responses
voluntary rather than mandatory. This move will weaken the quality and availability
of data that tells us what is happening to employment, immigration, housing,
incomes and education – the very issues that beg for the best policy
decisions possible as we inch our way through recovery. The Census long-form
questionnaire is a unique tool that affords decision-makers a rich set of
facts about Canadians, facts that are as reliable at the census tract or
neighbourhood level as the nation-wide level.
Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Thanks to Jennefer Laidley of the Income Security Advocacy
Centre (ISAC) for the many of the links in the above collection.
ISAC website:
www.incomesecurity.org
Social Assistance Review website:
www.sareview.ca
|
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Changes
distort the census
By Dan Gardner
July 9, 2010
Admittedly, the census is not the sexiest topic,
but it is important. The data generated by the census are the foundation
of almost every public policy. Social science in this country would come
to a shuddering halt without those numbers. So would a great deal of business.
Anyone interested in reality -- and I hope that includes every politician
and citizen -- is indebted to Statistics Canada and its bean counters. (...)
Apparently, the long mandatory survey was scrapped
because it offends the staunch libertarian principles of the Harper government.
Yes, the staunch libertarian principles of the government.
The Harper government. The government that thinks marijuana decriminalization
is a Marxist plot, an adult who agrees to consensual sex in exchange for
money should be imprisoned, the police did a fine job at the G20, and Omar
Khadr can rot in a tropical gulag.
Source:
The Ottawa Citizen
|
|
Don't
cut long census form: Liberals
July 7, 2010
The Liberals are demanding the federal government reverse
its decision to scrap the mandatory long census form, saying they will introduce
legislation to protect a mandatory long-form census if necessary. The
Conservative government announced last week that it is eliminating the mandatory
long census form for the 2011 census, replacing it with a voluntary national
household survey.
Source:
CBC
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