Tories: Tea Party North

[CHIMO]

The blockbuster resignation this week of career civil servant Munir Sheikh as head of Statistics Canada has finally given the Conservatives the wedge issue they wanted: Is StatsCan right to require that citizens and residents cooperate with a national census that for decades has sought detailed information from the one in five households issued a “long-form” questionnaire?

That’s how the Conservatives are framing this debate. Industry Minister Tony Clement argues that Canadians should never be “coerced” into disclosing personal information and income to the government, as this violates their privacy rights. Clement is backed in his Tea Party North crusade by Maxime Bernier, the one-time Conservative foreign minister who worries about confidentiality but was forced to resign after leaving behind a confidential brief when he overnighted with a girlfriend tied to biker gangs.

Will they now argue that the Canada Revenue Agency has no business coercing taxpayers to fully disclose their income, assets, liabilities and marital status on their annual returns — merely because they take a long time to fill out and leave Canadians cursing every April? Will they demand that Statistics Canada discontinue the monthly Labour Force Survey, which saddles more than 50,000 Canadians with detailed questions about employment, income and marital status? Will the mandatory agricultural survey be next, so that farmers will no longer be hounded by impertinent StatsCan queries about how much manure is used as fertilizer?

The Conservatives claim that Canadians are rebelling against the census en masse. But the privacy commissioner has received only a handful of complaints over the years. By contrast, the census has long helped decision-makers in Ottawa, the provinces and the municipalities, in businesses and charities. That’s why this move is being opposed by groups of all political stripes, who argue persuasively that it will do huge damage to the national database.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/839179--tories-tea-party-north

[HEyHEY]

1. I love how they care about privacy until the idea of taking DNA samples from us comes up

cocks.

[tuvor]

2. I have yet to see these intrusive questions published.

I'd like to know, specifically, what questions are being objected to. I'll bet most of those opposed haven't got one example to cite.

And sorry, but "how many bedrooms in my home" won't cut it. I have three. Oh, the intrusion. You could probably guess the number by looking at my residence.

Specifics, long-form opponents. Specifics.

[CHIMO]

3. Yea

Like it's a big deal.

The basis remains. There are no problems with the information leaking out.

The last time there was a ground swell concern was about the company that was going to process the data. If I remember correctly it was a US company and we were told there wouldn't, couldn't be a leak. Well it seems there was no leak.

So in 100 years the government will come back and impose taxes on five bedrooms cause one was taxed on only one bedroom. Never mind that you aren't there anymore and the plastic shell is also gone.