Census consensus found with Conservatives in Canada, Britain, U.S.

[Spazito]

snip

For Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, it's one of the rare times cabinet has unabashedly tipped its hat to the libertarians that form part of its base of support. Harper himself hails from the libertarian side of the Conservative party tent.

"All that the census is, and I say this as someone who once worked for (Statistics) Canada, is an intrusion into the privacy of the individual," writer Hugh Macintyre posted last week on the Freedom is my Nationality and Western Standard blogs.

"So I applaud the government for at least taking this small step towards ensuring greater privacy."

The decision has garnered aggressive opposition from a wide cross-section of groups that use the data in decision making — from municipalities, to academics and business organizations.

Some of those angry with the move will hold a major press conference on Tuesday, to underline that the voluntary long survey will not produce reliable results.

more

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n3915379

I only have one quibble and that is that harper hails from the libertarian side, he hails from the homophobic, racist, anti-choice, neocon side of the 'tent' and the 'tent' is a two-person pup tent.

[Spazito]

1. Adding this interesting tidbit as the editing time for my OP has elapsed...

Census discussion disappears from federal consultation site

OTTAWA - An online discussion about the census on a federal website was suddenly branded "off topic" and public links to it erased, as more groups opposed to the Conservative government's decision to cut the mandatory long census emerged.

Industry Canada had been leading a wide-ranging consultation on the digital economy for the last two months. With only a few days left for Canadians to register their views, a debate on the census had become the second most popular topic.

Last week, the census was featured on the Digital Economy Consultation home page as one of the top three "ideas," under a video message by Industry Minister Tony Clement.

snip

An Industry Canada spokesman said Monday that the discussion was moved to an "off topic" section because it was not deemed relevant.

more

http://www.680news.com/news/national/article/76586--census-discussion-disappears-from-federal-consultation-site

It looks like the heat is getting to be too much for the Cons on this, lol.

[daleo]

2. The census is now part of the culture wars

It's all part of the attack on science - the natural sciences and the social sciences.

This is another reason that I see Johnson's acceptance of the GG position as ignoble. As an academic, he is legitimizing this sort of anti-science posturing.

[CHIMO]

3. Control

With skewed data everyone can prove everything.

Next thing, we should get rid of a doomsday book.

[glarius]

4. This is just one more instance of Harper shaping Canada

into the image of what he thinks it should be. He is simply a frighteningly dogged control freak who is determined to remake Canada. The media keeps saying the Conservatives are doing this and this....it's not the Conservatives...it's Harper. He is in control of everything the government is doing. It's scarey.

[Bragi]

5. I don't think harper will back down on this

Harper doesn't back down when he makes an ideology-based public policy decision, which is what this is about. Most of his agenda comes not from his party, it comes from right-wing US blogs, and they've been on about the census now for years and years.

Harper knows that this is actually an ideological attack on evidence-based public policy, so I think he will stick to his guns on this, despite what editorials and even business says.

And most Canadians will never engage in the issue, and forget all about it.

Eventually, a new government will be faced with the prospect of redoing the census once Harper departs, which will cost a fortune.

[Toilet]

6. Totally irrational

And without any merrit whatsoever.