Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Liberals introduce bill to reinstate mandatory long form census

Bunk · 08-27-2010, 05:15 PM

I don't think people realize how widely census data collected in the long form is utilized by academic disciplines, local governments, businesses (including my professional practice), etc. The real problem with making a switch now to a voluntary form is that the last 50+ years of census data becomes essentially useless for comparison for data collected henceforth. Want to know how things have evolved in the last 5-10 years? nope, sorry.

There's just no good reason to change something that has been part of the responsibility of Canadian citizenship for so long. What's the up side, you placate a tiny, tiny number of hysteric libertarians? It isn't even a cost-saving measure, their voluntary proposal costs MORE!! Politically, it's just ######ed - it is an astonishing, needless political miscalculation.

If they were going to do anything, simply delete the threat of jail time (which has never actually happened) for not completing the form. done.

08-27-2010, 05:15 PM	#61
Bunk Franchise Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Exp:	I don't think people realize how widely census data collected in the long form is utilized by academic disciplines, local governments, businesses (including my professional practice), etc. The real problem with making a switch now to a voluntary form is that the last 50+ years of census data becomes essentially useless for comparison for data collected henceforth. Want to know how things have evolved in the last 5-10 years? nope, sorry. There's just no good reason to change something that has been part of the responsibility of Canadian citizenship for so long. What's the up side, you placate a tiny, tiny number of hysteric libertarians? It isn't even a cost-saving measure, their voluntary proposal costs MORE!! Politically, it's just ######ed - it is an astonishing, needless political miscalculation. If they were going to do anything, simply delete the threat of jail time (which has never actually happened) for not completing the form. done. __________________ Trust the snake.