Yesterday, Statistics Canada acknowledged that it has changed the Canadian Census, removing historically critical sections of the census form like ethnicity, education, employment, income, housing and disability. This information will now be gathered from a new, voluntary, National Household Survey, and will never be released publicly.
That is indeed what the stories this morning were saying, although to be fair, Tony Clement (the Minister responsible) suggests otherwise here. As for me, I'm far more worried that the response rate will fall precipitously as people look at the thing and decide that, if its not required, they're not going to bother (and that those who do bother will make for a biased sample).
And, by the way, if you look at the website for countmeout.ca, who may be one of the driving forces behind the census change, it appears to have been designed by nutters. Furthermore, their head guy, Don Rogers, runs a website dedicated to curbing illegal partying and rowdy behavior within the Queen’s student housing area.
Please, please don't tell me this guy has a line to Tony Clement and the PMO.
Year Zero in the Harper Dynasty.
ReplyDeletePlease, please don't tell me this guy has a line to Tony Clement and the PMO.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Conservatives have gained Don Roger's vote, that's for sure.
Still more dog whistling to the wingnuts ... that's all this really is.
ReplyDeleteActually, I know Don Rogers; it's extremely unlikely that he's got a direct line to Clement, and it's also very unlikely that he'll switch his vote to the CPC.
ReplyDeleteWhile I disagree with his point of view on the census, I live in Kingston and understand his frustration with how folks behave in the student ghetto (none of that namby-pamby SHA for me thanks... it's been the ghetto for as long as I remember). There are some serious problems in that area with the students...