Voluntary responses to important questions
Public officials shouldn’t smirk. There, Mr. Blair from the oh so brave TO force of law and order; I’ve said it. Given your record of dealing with peaceful protest, I should watch my back the next time I’m in your town.
It takes a special mindset to announce that all of the protesters you arrested were criminals, with a conspiracy at the foundation of their even breathing your rare air. Care to talk about jail conditions for those who were detained? Didn’t think so.
My country is changing, and not in a progressive fashion. Today, the people at StatsCan announced that the next census collection (less than a year away) will lack a mandatory long form. I speak from experience, when I protest such watering down of a necessary tool for policy design.
The national census is much more than a count of how many people live in a province. With proper data, the whole range of programs that cost taxpayers their excess pocket change can be modified to reflect demographic evolution. Will you need more schools in ten years? Ask the (old style) census questions that point to trends in births and education. How about new electoral boundaries (the best way to avoid gerrymandering)? Again, census data.
The next time around, forget any question that tries to determine who we are as a nation. The oldstyle “name, age, not much else” questions will remain, but any deep probing will be voluntary. I collected census data several decades ago, and a completed long form was an act of faith, albeit one with a force of law behind the completion. Next time around, only the few and frivolous will answer.
