Tory Gov't Compromises Census Effectiveness--Again
- Thread starter FiveParadox
- Start date
But it's collected by StatsCan and stripped of personal identifiers immediately. Privacy is protected, vulnerable at only one point that has never been compromised. You're advocating exchanging information across departments beyond the immediate purpose of its collection. That in itself is an invasion of privacy of an entirely different order from the long form. It's also is a huge increment of vulnerability. Not only that but it won't come cheap.
We'll end up paying more for less at greater cost to our privacy.
Only because of bureaucracy.
Technology is at the point where it would actually be cheaper. Less paper, dollars/ man hour and so on.
Only when you add the clusterf!ck of civil... er... simple servants, does the cost begin to go awry.
It's not just a matter of collecting the data itself.
First, there would be major privacy concerns when it comes to permitting government departments to transfer personally-identifiable information between themselves. Second, the types of data that are valuable are not people's names and phone numbers--rather, the data that Statistics Canada collects is aggregated and analysed for the purpose of identifying national and regional trends, for the greater purpose of enabling the government to make policies that make sense for Canadians.
The arguments being presented by members of the Conservative Party of Canada suggest that Canadians are thrown in the dungeon every time a census takes place; anyone who promotes a mandatory long-form census is painted, by the Conservatives, as "wanting to scare seniors and immigrants, and wanting to imprison hard-working Canadians." StatCan is regarded highly throughout the world for its quality statistical work with our mandatory long-form census--why would we then throw that methodology away, just to appeal to the Conservatives' unreasonable and radical base?
"If they know how many rooms mah house done has, they's gonna come for mah guns!"
First, there would be major privacy concerns when it comes to permitting government departments to transfer personally-identifiable information between themselves. Second, the types of data that are valuable are not people's names and phone numbers--rather, the data that Statistics Canada collects is aggregated and analysed for the purpose of identifying national and regional trends, for the greater purpose of enabling the government to make policies that make sense for Canadians.
The arguments being presented by members of the Conservative Party of Canada suggest that Canadians are thrown in the dungeon every time a census takes place; anyone who promotes a mandatory long-form census is painted, by the Conservatives, as "wanting to scare seniors and immigrants, and wanting to imprison hard-working Canadians." StatCan is regarded highly throughout the world for its quality statistical work with our mandatory long-form census--why would we then throw that methodology away, just to appeal to the Conservatives' unreasonable and radical base?
"If they know how many rooms mah house done has, they's gonna come for mah guns!"
oh PLEASE!
You're talking about a data warehousing project on a scale that's NEVER been attempted in this country. Just because something is technically possible, which it is, doesn't mean it's easy or less work, of which it is neither. Not only that but you're advocating for an assimilation of data nothing short of Big Brother and totally ignoring the fact that its implementation is currently illegal to prevent that very thing. That checkbox on your tax forms allowing them to forward your info to Elections Canada isn't there because they were short of coloured ink.
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Yes, well useful statistical analysis isn't really going to lose favour with researchers or policy wonks anytime soon. Useful statistical analysis isn't an oxymoron, it's a requisite that should go without saying, but unfortunately our country as a whole has the Mathematics aptitude of an elementary school child.
Reality is that which when you don't believe in it, won't go away.
Having good statistics is critically important, and it's not just a simple matter of collecting it from government agencies. There's nothing simple about it at all. How often is information in a government database changed for a single person? You'll have to take my word on this, but it can take multiple calls before the National Student Loan Center actually updates your information. I got dinged for two late payments because of their ridiculous bureaucracy... To bring all that bureaucracy together would be insanely difficult, and many times more expensive, due to the need for intense quality control.
I don't understand--I really, sincerely don't understand--the vitriolic resistance to telling the government how many bedrooms your house has, or how much time you spend volunteering. There are obvious benefits, in terms of policy, for the government to have these aggregate details available. It's not as though organisations can request these statistics on a per person basis; they are used in aggregate for public policy decisions.
Or research that is important for the public. Epidemiology, societal trends, economics... the economy of the future is becoming more and more knowledge based, and that means access to good information is important. If anyone can forward a cost-effective and efficacious solution, there are thousands of people who would be very interested to see such a proposal.
Nope, has nothing to do with socialism (or anti-socialism), more like the theory of totalitarianism by which no one wants a big powerful government that intervenes in everyone's life.
Avro said "anti-social," not "anti-socialist." How would aggregate government statistics into how much volunteering you do facilitate a totalitarian government? Exactly, it wouldn't. Public policy decisions should not be made blindly, and that's exactly what The Right Honourable Stephen Harper P.C., M.P. (Calgary Southwest), the Prime Minister (and his sock puppet ministers) are trying to do. Conservatives in Canada have always been at odds with academics and statisticians.
Once every five years....the obligations of Canadian citizenship are not really that overbearing. Some Canadians are willing to die while serving the Queen and flag, and the people they work with. And then some people whine about answering a few questions on a survey?
I have no problem with the census..
The last one I remember filling out was 2000 or 2001
I put in the name, age and sex of everyone in the house, said they were all born in Canada and that's it. Dropped it in the mailbox and never heard anymore about it.
Will do the same thing with the next one they send....not paranoid....the rest is nobody's business but mine.
The last one I remember filling out was 2000 or 2001
I put in the name, age and sex of everyone in the house, said they were all born in Canada and that's it. Dropped it in the mailbox and never heard anymore about it.
Will do the same thing with the next one they send....not paranoid....the rest is nobody's business but mine.
And that can be done by collating the data already collected by the various levels of Gov't now. The census was created long before the computer age. The census, like unions, has seen its day.
I'm not a follower of that silly analogy, but I do think it's a waste of time. I'm not worried about going to jail, or my privacy. I just believe that the system is already in place, the technology available, to do away with an antiquated process.
Typical Liberal dismissal. Can't argue the points, just try and insult the opposition into silence.
Good call.
The Long Gun Registry, Ontario Health Services, Stats Can, lol...
All that needs to happen is, all pertinent data needs to be forwarded to Stats Can. Are you saying their system can't handle that?
Of course it isn't, 'cause you say so.
Blah, blah, blah, fear mongering and and silliness. The legallity is merely a simple fix, and the collation of data need only be as simple as stats, nothing more.
Your point?
I don't see any vitriol in this thread, unless we're talking about making anyone that thinks contrary to you, out to be a gun toting redneck.
And just what policy making needs to know how many rooms I have in my house?
Oh brother. Speaking of vitriol and fear mongering.