[DrCaleb]

$1:

Independent reviews of the National Household Survey (NHS) data have revealed its inferior and dubious quality, which has led to calls by researchers to avoid it altogether. With $22-million more spent on the NHS than on the long-form census, and many more individuals surveyed than in the past, the NHS has failed to achieve the objectives of its proponents and at the same time, it has delivered data of limited use.

An opportunity exists for legislators to right this wrong. A private member’s bill, which calls for the restoration of the long-form census, is up for debate on Thursday (Nov. 6). It is incumbent on the MPs not to think and act along party lines and instead to act in the best interest of Canadians, which lies in the restoration of the long-form census.

Ted Hsu, a Liberal MP from Kingston, has brought forward a private member’s Bill C-626. Being a former research scientist with a Ph.D. in Physics, Mr. Hsu understands the importance of good data and its contribution to research, public policy and business strategy. However, private member’s bills have seldom become law in Canada. He would need the support of not just the Liberals and the NDP, but also the Conservative MPs who hold a majority in the House of Commons.

Bill C-626 makes the following three principal recommendations: First, it calls for reinstating the mandatory long-form census; second, it recommends that the Chief Statistician, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, should formulate the policies regarding census, including the means of collecting the data; and, third, the bill proposes a consultative process, which engages experts
and political parties, for appointing the chief statistician.
. . .

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-de ... cmpid=rss1

[Zipperfish]

Pfft. Scientists talking science-y stuff again.

[Lemmy]

Ever read Gibbons? The first thing the Romans cancelled on their way down was the census. So much for learning from the mistakes of history.

[DrCaleb]

Lemmy Lemmy:

Ever read Gibbons? The first thing the Romans cancelled on their way down was the census. So much for learning from the mistakes of history.

Au contraire! I think they are repeating the mistakes of history quite accurately.

[Xort]

Privacy is a human right, and a protected freedom in Canada.

If a business wants market research they can pay me for it, rather than using the threat of jail to force me to tell them.

Fuck those xxxxx using legislation to try get around business expenses. They got lazy using the club of the government to do the work for them.

"You must tell the truth. Or else."

Get bent, you do not have a right to my economic data.

[DrCaleb]

Xort Xort:

Privacy is a human right, and a protected freedom in Canada.

Has Statistics Canada ever violated the privacy of anyone who filled out the Long Form Census?

Section 8 of the Constitution protects us from unreasonable search and seizure, and from that we derive our right to the privacy a reasonable person would expect to have; but the data collected by Stats Canada is never individualized nor is it related to any single person that responded. To answer my own question, Stats Can has never violated the privacy of a single individual.

This data is crucial in future planning. How can you predict what infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals will be needed if there is no information about who lives in the area? How do you know what kind of tax increase the population can comfortably accept if planners don't know how much they make? How can you make economic decisions if you don't have any of the information about the economic factors involved?

As Stephen Harper himself said recently - “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

[Xort]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Xort Xort:

Privacy is a human right, and a protected freedom in Canada.

Has Statistics Canada ever violated the privacy of anyone who filled out the Long Form Census?

They say they share data with private industry. I don't care if personal data is hidden in the mass, it's still a privacy violation.

Identical to the NSA looking at meta data. Or having software read your emails and only flagging the ones that might be criminal for human review.

$1:

Stats Can has never violated the privacy of a single individual.

They just violated everyone's right to privacy. Killing a million might be a statistic, but it's a tragedy a million times over as well.

$1:

This data is crucial in future planning. How can you predict what infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals will be needed if there is no information about who lives in the area?

That's not data that is only collected by the long form. Basic information like population is acceptable to ask in a census, but a good measure could be collected by public observation. Like car counters laid on roads, or made by optical devices, or even simple analysis of zoning permits issued by a local government.

As for roads, schools and hospitals I think once you enter the real world you will find that most public construction isn't controlled by the data in the long form census but by local political pressures and internal reporting.

If that's not true why did Edmonton find it's inner city schools empty while outlying ones are stuffed full? This happened before the LFC was changed to a voluntary form. Not that the LFC was the only source of information on the topic of children needing public education.

A new medical facility was built near by me. It's was built because the politicians in the area felt that the area needed it, even while the public health organization said it was neither good or bad in that area. (code for OMG please don't build that there)

The ring road around Edmonton was built because they guessed/planned that one day the city will need it. The LFC data wouldn't have helped predict the need of the road, more than a simple city census of population, or the city's own observations of traffic movement in the city. Traffic pattern data is one set of data the LFC couldn't provide in any dependable way. The city and province used other sources of statistical analysis to say, 'Hey one day we are going to need a highway road around the city.'

Basic census data would allow a government to make reasonable predictions on the population to build schools, hospitals and roads. They don't need the depth of the LFC to do that.

$1:

How do you know what kind of tax increase the population can comfortably accept if planners don't know how much they make?

We are not taxed in accordance to statistical data of income, we are taxed by government need and political power to pass taxation changes (up or down). That you think the government looks at the long form census data and says, oh gee this area can support a 2.7% raise in taxes so lets do that, just proves how out of touch with reality you are.

$1:

How can you make economic decisions if you don't have any of the information about the economic factors involved?

Economic data isn't only collected by the long form census. Can you make a good argument that data from the LFC was used to make economic policy in Canada, rather than political dealing and personal relations from interested parties, or just outright ideology?

$1:

As Stephen Harper himself said recently - “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

But you also neatly bypass my statement about giving the private data of Canadians to business.

Let me ask you and if you only reply to one thing reply to this; Out of the other developed nations how many others have census forms of similar depth to the LFC? How many of those nations share that data with private enterprise?

The only people that are up in arms about the lack of LFC data are a small subset of researchers and people with a ideological bone to pick with the government.

I'm going to take time to point out that this title, 'Poor census data is crippling Canada’s ability to compete' is what the internet calls click bait. Canada is not being crippled by a lack of LFC data. Lets be reasonable here, if we can.

[DrCaleb]

Xort Xort:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Xort Xort:

Privacy is a human right, and a protected freedom in Canada.

Has Statistics Canada ever violated the privacy of anyone who filled out the Long Form Census?

They say they share data with private industry. I don't care if personal data is hidden in the mass, it's still a privacy violation.

Identical to the NSA looking at meta data. Or having software read your emails and only flagging the ones that might be criminal for human review.

Post the annual family income for people in your subdivision: _________________

Now post the URL of every site you visited this week, along with every phone number you called: _____________________

Statistics are not even similar to metadata. It's not a privacy violation if there is no private information revealed.

Xort Xort:

$1:

Stats Can has never violated the privacy of a single individual.

They just violated everyone's right to privacy. Killing a million might be a statistic, but it's a tragedy a million times over as well.

Ahh, yes! Appeal to emotion! No people were killed in the processing of the long form census. The same long form census we've had for 40 years and not one person's privacy has been violated! Run for the hills!

Xort Xort:

$1:

This data is crucial in future planning. How can you predict what infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals will be needed if there is no information about who lives in the area?

That's not data that is only collected by the long form. Basic information like population is acceptable to ask in a census, but a good measure could be collected by public observation. Like car counters laid on roads, or made by optical devices, or even simple analysis of zoning permits issued by a local government.

That's why there are car counters on the road. But a car counter won't tell you how many people are in the car, nor will it tell you about their general health.

Xort Xort:

As for roads, schools and hospitals I think once you enter the real world you will find that most public construction isn't controlled by the data in the long form census but by local political pressures and internal reporting.

No, it's been controlled by the Census in general. The long form just gives more accurate detail about the population, without having everyone do the long form.

Xort Xort:

If that's not true why did Edmonton find it's inner city schools empty while outlying ones are stuffed full? This happened before the LFC was changed to a voluntary form. Not that the LFC was the only source of information on the topic of children needing public education.

Because new families move into new areas, and Edmonton didn't count on the rate at which people actually moved to the new neighborhoods.

Xort Xort:

A new medical facility was built near by me. It's was built because the politicians in the area felt that the area needed it, even while the public health organization said it was neither good or bad in that area. (code for OMG please don't build that there)

No, it was most likely placed in the area that it would be most effective. The politicians felt that the area needed it because statistics about the population told them that was the case.

Xort Xort:

The ring road around Edmonton was built because they guessed/planned that one day the city will need it. The LFC data wouldn't have helped predict the need of the road, more than a simple city census of population, or the city's own observations of traffic movement in the city. Traffic pattern data is one set of data the LFC couldn't provide in any dependable way. The city and province used other sources of statistical analysis to say, 'Hey one day we are going to need a highway road around the city.'

You do know that the Anthony Henday was in the planning stages since the 1970's, right? The whole time the Long Form was in use? And it's the regular census that provides population data. If you don't know what data the LFC provided, perhaps it would be bad to make examples outside that?

Xort Xort:

Basic census data would allow a government to make reasonable predictions on the population to build schools, hospitals and roads. They don't need the depth of the LFC to do that.

The LFC has much more information besides population. The general census can do that.

Xort Xort:

$1:

How do you know what kind of tax increase the population can comfortably accept if planners don't know how much they make?

We are not taxed in accordance to statistical data of income, we are taxed by government need and political power to pass taxation changes (up or down). That you think the government looks at the long form census data and says, oh gee this area can support a 2.7% raise in taxes so lets do that, just proves how out of touch with reality you are.

It just shows how out of touch with city planning and the use of statistics you are.

Xort Xort:

$1:

How can you make economic decisions if you don't have any of the information about the economic factors involved?

Economic data isn't only collected by the long form census. Can you make a good argument that data from the LFC was used to make economic policy in Canada, rather than political dealing and personal relations from interested parties, or just outright ideology?

Yes, because political ideology is not one of the data points collected but economic activity is.

Xort Xort:

$1:

As Stephen Harper himself said recently - “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

But you also neatly bypass my statement about giving the private data of Canadians to business.

I bypassed most of your post because I didn't know what you were ranting about.

Stats Can has always given some data away, and sold other. Economic data also helps business make plans and forecasts as well. But again, it's statistics, not personal data.

Xort Xort:

Let me ask you and if you only reply to one thing reply to this; Out of the other developed nations how many others have census forms of similar depth to the LFC? How many of those nations share that data with private enterprise?

To my knowledge, all G20 countries have a mandatory Census, and a similar mandatory long form given similarly to random people. Also to my knowledge, all of them share that information with business, and other countries.

Also, to my knowledge, Canada is the only one that until recently, doesn't have a mandatory census and long form. Also, I know that StatsCan was respected worldwide not only on the quality of it's data, but it's long history of accuracy and maintaining personal privacy.

Also, to my knowledge, the only countries that don't keep and use detailed statistics about their population are the ones we'd consider 'Third World'. The ones who also can't plan for anything regarding the the future of their countries.

Xort Xort:

The only people that are up in arms about the lack of LFC data are a small subset of researchers and people with a ideological bone to pick with the government.

Nope. A cursory web search will show all sorts of things we now don't know because the LFC isn't mandatory.

Xort Xort:

I'm going to take time to point out that this title, 'Poor census data is crippling Canada’s ability to compete' is what the internet calls click bait. Canada is not being crippled by a lack of LFC data. Lets be reasonable here, if we can.

I am being reasonable. The author of the article is a University Professor of Retail Management. Pretty sure he'd know the effects on Business and how the loss of the Long Form Census data affects it.

[Xort]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Post the annual family income for people in your subdivision: _________________

Now post the URL of every site you visited this week, along with every phone number you called: _____________________

Statistics are not even similar to metadata. It's not a privacy violation if there is no private information revealed.

Both are invasions of privacy.

$1:

Ahh, yes! Appeal to emotion! No people were killed in the processing of the long form census. The same long form census we've had for 40 years and not one person's privacy has been violated! Run for the hills!

You missed the point, and I think intentionally.

Kill one person and that's a tragedy, kill a million and it's a statistic.
Collect the private information of one person and it's a violation. Collect the private information of a million and it's statistics.

$1:

That's why there are car counters on the road. But a car counter won't tell you how many people are in the car, nor will it tell you about their general health.

I wasn't aware you needed different roads for cars with passengers. Or that the LFC recorded how often you drove your car with passengers and how many, with enough detail to permit city planning better than direct observation of traffic patterns.

$1:

No, it's been controlled by the Census in general. The long form just gives more accurate detail about the population, without having everyone do the long form.

You clearly don't know how politics work, or school boards or city councils if you think they are using the information from the LFC to make policy choices.

$1:

Because new families move into new areas, and Edmonton didn't count on the rate at which people actually moved to the new neighborhoods.

They knew but didn't want to do anything about it other than hope people would move into the old housing in the city center with the criminals.

$1:

No, it was most likely placed in the area that it would be most effective. The politicians felt that the area needed it because statistics about the population told them that was the case.

No it really wasn't, in fact that was one of the big issues, it was build because "We should have our own facility here, because we are special! Vote for me to get a hospital built here!"

Anyway, in what way would the LFC have made it happen while the normal form wouldn't?

$1:

You do know that the Anthony Henday was in the planning stages since the 1970's, right? The whole time the Long Form was in use? And it's the regular census that provides population data. If you don't know what data the LFC provided, perhaps it would be bad to make examples outside that?

What are you talking about? I just gave a real example in reply to your claim that the LFC is needed to plan the building of road.

$1:

The LFC has much more information besides population. The general census can do that.

What information would be used from the LFC to plan to build the ring road?

$1:

It just shows how out of touch with city planning and the use of statistics you are.

No, it proves how little worth the LFC has for the things you claimed it was needed for.

$1:

Yes, because political ideology is not one of the data points collected but economic activity is.

So no.

$1:

I bypassed most of your post because I didn't know what you were ranting about.

More like because you're making a fool of yourself again with your anti CPC bias. And when I pointed out the flaws in your argument you ducked and dodged around it.

$1:

To my knowledge, all G20 countries have a mandatory Census, and a similar mandatory long form given similarly to random people. Also to my knowledge, all of them share that information with business, and other countries.

So in other words no.

$1:

Also, I know that StatsCan was respected worldwide not only on the quality of it's data, but it's long history of accuracy and maintaining personal privacy.

How do you know this?

$1:

Also, to my knowledge, the only countries that don't keep and use detailed statistics about their population are the ones we'd consider 'Third World'. The ones who also can't plan for anything regarding the the future of their countries.

Nice try, but I'm not buying, and neither is anyone else.

$1:

Nope. A cursory web search will show all sorts of things we now don't know because the LFC isn't mandatory.

Uh huh. I see how you provide nothing.

$1:

I am being reasonable. The author of the article is a University Professor of Retail Management. Pretty sure he'd know the effects on Business and how the loss of the Long Form Census data affects it.

Crippled.
...
Crippled.

Yeah no.

In short I'm going to quote the Fraser Institute.

$1:

The census has simply become a cheap way for academics, economists, and social scientists to get information that should be acquired using market surveys of the kind that are routinely collected on a voluntary basis.

[DrCaleb]

Xort Xort:

Both are invasions of privacy.

By definition, statistical analysis is the generalization of facts, and the exact opposite of private information. Posting the average income of your subdivision tells us nothing about individuals. Posting your browsing history tells us a great deal about you.

The two are not even similar.

Xort Xort:

You missed the point, and I think intentionally.

Kill one person and that's a tragedy, kill a million and it's a statistic.
Collect the private information of one person and it's a violation. Collect the private information of a million and it's statistics.

No, I got your point, but it didn't need to be so emotionally charged. And collecting data about a million people tells us very little about each individual, but a great deal about the population. A great example! Thanks!

Xort Xort:

I wasn't aware you needed different roads for cars with passengers. Or that the LFC recorded how often you drove your car with passengers and how many, with enough detail to permit city planning better than direct observation of traffic patterns.

Now you are being intentionally obtuse. The LFC asked where a person works, vs where they lived. Information can them be gleaned on how they plan to get from home to work, and road planning can commence. The LFC also asks about the physical health and education of family members, something counting traffic cannot provide.

Xort Xort:

You clearly don't know how politics work, or school boards or city councils if you think they are using the information from the LFC to make policy choices.

Yes, my 20 odd years working with the local government has taught me nothing about politics. Well, the LFC is gone, so they can't now, can they? But they could. Education information of children was part of the LFC.

Xort Xort:

They knew but didn't want to do anything about it other than hope people would move into the old housing in the city center with the criminals.

Troll attempt declined.

Xort Xort:

No it really wasn't, in fact that was one of the big issues, it was build because "We should have our own facility here, because we are special! Vote for me to get a hospital built here!"

Anyway, in what way would the LFC have made it happen while the normal form wouldn't?

It wouldn't. The regular census did that. The NHS does not.

Xort Xort:

$1:

The LFC has much more information besides population. The general census can do that.

What information would be used from the LFC to plan to build the ring road?

Like I said, the general census had data that could be used to plan roads. Cities also do their own Census.

Xort Xort:

No, it proves how little worth the LFC has for the things you claimed it was needed for.

No, your lack of knowledge about city planning does not reflect on the LFC.

Xort Xort:

More like because you're making a fool of yourself again with your anti CPC bias. And when I pointed out the flaws in your argument you ducked and dodged around it.

You pointed flaws out in my argument? I must have missed that part. The fact is, the elimination of the Census in favour of the optional National Home Survey has greatly reduced our ability to plan for the future in all aspects, just like Harpers's partisan attacks on Science and Research will reduce our ability for forward planning for years to come. I really don't care which party is doing it, I care that it's happening. I regard all politicians with equal distain right now.

Xort Xort:

$1:

To my knowledge, all G20 countries have a mandatory Census, and a similar mandatory long form given similarly to random people. Also to my knowledge, all of them share that information with business, and other countries.

So in other words no.

Only you could take an absolute 'yes' for a 'no'. Well done!

Xort Xort:

$1:

Also, I know that StatsCan was respected worldwide not only on the quality of it's data, but it's long history of accuracy and maintaining personal privacy.

How do you know this?

It's reputation over the years I have been using it. Feedback over the recent elimination of the Census. And a simple Google search.

Xort Xort:

$1:

Also, to my knowledge, the only countries that don't keep and use detailed statistics about their population are the ones we'd consider 'Third World'. The ones who also can't plan for anything regarding the the future of their countries.

Nice try, but I'm not buying, and neither is anyone else.

Yes, because Statistics from the Governments of Somalia and Libya are renowned for their accuracy.

Xort Xort:

$1:

Nope. A cursory web search will show all sorts of things we now don't know because the LFC isn't mandatory.

Uh huh. I see how you provide nothing.

Well, I must have missed all the links you meant to put in defending your argument. Guess what? It's not needed! You seem to be under the impression that I need to defend my opinions, while you do not. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Like I've said before, a little primer on logical debate would help you out a great deal. If you are going to participate in these things, it might help you to know the rules.

Xort Xort:

$1:

I am being reasonable. The author of the article is a University Professor of Retail Management. Pretty sure he'd know the effects on Business and how the loss of the Long Form Census data affects it.

Crippled.
...
Crippled.

Yeah no.

In short I'm going to quote the Fraser Institute.

$1:

The census has simply become a cheap way for academics, economists, and social scientists to get information that should be acquired using market surveys of the kind that are routinely collected on a voluntary basis.

Yes, the Institute known for using populations of 120 in their surveys! That's a totally accurate sample population! (if you want to bias the survey)

Like it or not, one of the advantages of Government funded research (or really anything) is that it's wide, and it's cheap. And because it's publicly funded, it's also widely available.

Let me give you some quotes then, and I'll quote multiple sources at different times with different authors, just to avoid the appearance of bias:

$1:

Loss of long-form census leads to spotty demographic data: experts

The federal government’s decision to replace the mandatory, long-form census with a voluntary survey has left information gaps about Canada’s changing demographics, experts say.

The first results of the 2011 voluntary National Household Survey, released Wednesday, had a response rate of 68 per cent, well below the projected 94 per cent response rate for a traditional census.

. . .

People from smaller towns also tend not to respond to voluntary surveys, Gomez said, which results in those communities being “effectively lost.”

“It’s like a black hole -- we don’t know anything about what’s going on in a certain community,” he said.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/loss-of-lo ... -1.1273352

$1:

Canada’s voluntary census is worthless. Here’s why

. . .

But the national level of aggregation is not helpful for people in business and marketing, in social services, in government planning and budgeting agencies, and in research in general who need to know in detail, at the local level, people’s family, socioeconomic, and ethno-cultural status.

The problem is that the voluntary survey has, as predicted, widely varying non-response rates. The response rates vary by location, socioeconomic status, ethno-cultural origin, family status, and so on. The non-response rate for Montreal was 20 per cent, for Vancouver and Toronto about 25 per cent, and in 18 metropolitan areas it was near or above 30 per cent. Peterborough, at 36 per cent, was the highest for a metropolitan area.

People with higher levels of education, higher-status jobs, higher (but not the highest) incomes and older people had higher response rates. Single parents and one-person households as well as renters had lower response rates. So did those living in the richest and poorest census tracts.

These missing responses explain why the Prime Minister’s NHS paints a rosy picture of a country with a growing middle-income group and fewer low-income areas. The fact is, fewer low-income people filled in the voluntary long form.

. . .

In short, all the good news from the NHS is nonsense.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-de ... e14674558/

$1:

National Household Survey That Replaced Long-Form Census Is Unreliable: Experts

. . .

Economists and statisticians are skeptical about the accuracy and usefulness of data that begin to trickle in this week from the inaugural 2011 National Household Survey. The Conservative government decided in 2010 that the survey would replace the mandatory long-form census, despite their acknowledgement that the decision was made without consultation, an ensuing outcry over the hasty move, and warnings it would jeopardize the quality of Canadian information.

The first report using the new voluntary data collection method — relating to aboriginals, immigrants and ethnodiversity — will be released on Wednesday.

Experts who have for years relied on census data for an updated look at changes in such groups in Canadian society now question how useful the new information will be.

The worst-case scenario is that all levels of government, as well as non-profit and private sector groups, will make decisions about community planning based on the wrong information, said David Bellhouse, a statistics professor at the University of Western Ontario.

“The tragedy of it is, the government was warned that this would happen," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to cancel the long-form census over privacy concerns met with a wave of backlash from groups, including opposition parties, community organizations, professional associations, economists and government analysts. Former chief statistician Munir Sheikh resigned in protest over the death of the mandatory census, delivering a definitive message that a voluntary survey cannot replace a mandatory census.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/06 ... 20138.html

$1:

Good government and Statistics Canada: The need for true independence

On Saturday, June 26, 2010, the Government of Canada announced its decision that the 2011 census would include only the eight questions from the traditional short-form. In effect, this cancelled the mandatory long-form census that included an additional 53 questions on a variety of demographic, social, and economic subjects. The government asked Statistics Canada to undertake a voluntary survey instead, including the original 53 questions from the long-form.

This decision did not go over well with users of census data, including provincial and municipal governments, non-government organizations, academics, the media, pollsters, and many others. According to one count, 370 organizations— representing the whole spectrum of the Canadian population—expressed their displeasure at the decision.

The government’s initial response was two-fold: they insisted that Statistics Canada had given them advice that a voluntary survey can produce as good results as a census; and they claimed that Statistics Canada and its Chief Statistician were totally supportive of the government on this issue. This was not the case. I should know; I was the Chief Statistician at the time. I resigned shortly thereafter.

. . .
The importance of evidence-based decision-making

Decisions based on evidence, rather than ideology, enhance the well-being of citizens both at the personal and public policy levels.

Consider monetary policy. The Bank of Canada has an inflation target and adjusts monetary policy when it believes the target will not be met to its satisfaction. Canada’s inflation outcomes, and the Bank of Canada’s role in that context, are some of the factors that have contributed to Canada’s strong economic performance in recent years, including its ability to cope with the current financial and economic crisis.

Consider corporate tax policy. Two contradictory views are often heard. On one side, the argument goes like this: lower corporate taxes increase investment that, in turn, improves productivity and creates jobs (the conflict between jobs and productivity in the short run is unfortunately forgotten in this equation). On the other side, the argument contends that corporate tax reductions transfer wealth from the poor to the rich, and this carries unacceptable social costs.

Only evidence can bridge the gap between these conflicting views to allow policy makers to follow a policy that enhances citizen well-being. This evidence could show that the outcome may depend on a range of other factors that may shift over time. Thus, it may be hard to determine a priori which of the two outcomes to expect at a point in time.

. . .

The importance of good data

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) provides a helpful example of what data can do for its users.

Data describe events as they unfold and thus give us information on things as they change. Every month Statistics Canada releases the CPI describing the change in consumer prices for the past month. It may show that average prices rose or fell by a particular magnitude. This monthly measurement can be compared with previous months to get a sense about inflation rates over different time periods.

Data can also be used to gain insight into a phenomenon. The detailed information contained in the CPI release can pinpoint where prices are changing most. For example, data may show that the main reason the average price rose last month was because of significant increases in auto insurance premiums. This would allow citizens to understand the reasons for an increase in their cost of living.

Data allow analysis of the reasons behind observed developments. Using other relevant data, such as the frequency and seriousness of accidents, it may be feasible to analyze the causes underlying the increase in insurance premiums. The understanding provided by this analysis can be helpful in making improvements in outcomes, such as a policy to improve highway safety that helps control insurance premiums.

. . .

It is a statistical fact that a voluntary survey cannot hope to act as a substitute for a mandatory census. A voluntary survey will inevitably result in uneven response rates from different population groups and different geographic areas. Increasing the sample size cannot offset this problem. If there is a bias in the original sample, that bias will be magnified in a bigger sample if it continues to mimic the properties of the earlier, compromised sample. Suggesting that a voluntary survey with a larger sample size can replace a mandatory census is like saying that if you take a wrong turn, you should drive faster in the wrong direction to get to your destination. With a voluntary survey, many data users who depend on the long-form census—including the federal government—will lose the data quality they need.

Second, to the extent that the long-form census data provide a benchmark for other Statistics Canada surveys, the quality of data from these other surveys will also deteriorate.

. . .

Trust in Statistics Canada is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. To ensure that that trust in the agency is not put at risk, we must amend the Act to enshrine in law what previously was a strong tradition of independence and autonomy. The cancellation of the long-form census highlights how this independence is currently vulnerable. To ensure the best outcomes for the citizens of Canada, we need to protect Statistics Canada from outside interference.

http://www.academicmatters.ca/2013/05/g ... ependence/

[Taajsgpm]

Lemmy Lemmy:

Ever read Gibbons? The first thing the Romans cancelled on their way down was the census. So much for learning from the mistakes of history.

Great point, My thought is these days with the tracking they do with Internet actviity , facebook , etc.. they know everything they need to know

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Xort Xort:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Post the annual family income for people in your subdivision: _________________

Now post the URL of every site you visited this week, along with every phone number you called: _____________________

Statistics are not even similar to metadata. It's not a privacy violation if there is no private information revealed.

Both are invasions of privacy.

$1:

Ahh, yes! Appeal to emotion! No people were killed in the processing of the long form census. The same long form census we've had for 40 years and not one person's privacy has been violated! Run for the hills!

You missed the point, and I think intentionally.

Kill one person and that's a tragedy, kill a million and it's a statistic.

Yeah yeah, kill 'em all and you're a god.

Xort Xort:

Collect the private information of one person and it's a violation. Collect the private information of a million and it's statistics.

Collecting the private information of one person and disseminating it without their knowledge and/or consent is a violation. A govt compiling stats to utilize this little concept called demographics is vital to the govt for numerous purposeful uses. Providing that compiled yet anonymous data to private enterprise also helps them make better decisions when it comes to where to locate or expand. Like what kind of workforce they'll have available to them in a given area. Or for a high end store to know that south Oshawa or Windsor's west end(for example) definitely aren't the kind of neighbourhoods where they'd want to set up.

No matter what you think, no private enterprise has ever gotten your name, address, specific annual income, ethnicity, religion or any other "sensitive" information you may be worried about from the census information they get from StatsCan. By the time private enterprise gets it, it's nothing but impersonal data. If they can't attribute any specific piece of data to any specific person, there's no violation of privacy.