Former top bureaucrats ask PM to enshrine independence of StatsCan boss

Kathryn May, Postmedia News September 10, 2010

OTTAWA — Four former top bureaucrats are appealing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to enshrine in law the independence of Canada’s chief statistician to decide on how the agency collects data, including the census. In a letter sent to Harper, the four say the government’s decision to make the long-form census voluntary has damaged Statistics Canada’s credibility and international standing. The letter was signed by two former clerks of the Privy Council Office, Mel Cappe and Alex Himelfarb, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge and former chief statistician Ivan Fellegi, who headed the agency for more than 20 years.They say the chief statistician, not the minister, should have the power to decide on methodology and techniques the agency needs to do its job. The former bureaucrats say such responsibility has always been an implicit part of the job, reinforced by Canada’s commitment to the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

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Dimitri Soudas, Harper’s communications director, says the government stands by its decision.

"The fundamental principle we’re defending here is the right of citizens not to divulge personal information and the government not to threaten (them) with jail and fines," he said. "That’s the fundamental principle we’re upholding."

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Don Quixote Note: The Tories answer is to triple the number of Long Form Census but make them voluntary without penalty for non return in the hope that a sufficient number of people will reply so the sample size is adequate (and statistically representative) to produce the required data. They will also do a lot of advertising at considerable cost to appeal to the basic good that lies within the hearts of all good Canadians that this information is valid and is needed and that the long form census should be completed and returned. Remember also that the short form census will still be MANDATORY and will still have penalties attached to it for non compliance.

The simple way out that will save face for the Tories (and some of my blogreaders who are to the Right of Attilla the Hun) is a combination of minimum fines (to help finance the program) for those that fail to obey the rule of law and tax breaks or incentives for those who readily fill out the MANDATORY long form census.

Each Canadian would view the receipt of the Long Form Census from the Government as an opportunity to get an additional tax credit and perhaps the opportunity to be a lottery winner in the Patriotic Census jackpot.

• The Long Form Census (like the Income Tax Filing) would remain mandatory.
  
• Save the advertising Money by only sending out the same number of forms as before. (Some of this money say 25% could be added to the jackpot available for the people who actually complete and return the long form census.)
• ALL lucky people who received the forms would be advised that their taxes had been increased by $50 and a t5 type slip is attached as part of the form.
• ALL people who returned a valid Long Form Census would be eligible for a $150 tax credit and a ticket into the Patriotic Census jackpot drawing.
• The 25% from the saved Advertising money and the $50 from each person who refused to submit a valid Long Form Census would form the Patriotic Census jackpot amount that would be available to be distributed to a lucky ticket holder.

Hopefully this would appeal to the law and order Government base and have the added incentive of tax cuts for a broad and representative segment of the population who were lucky enough to be chosen to receive the Mandatory Long Form Census.

(Fell free to send this solution to any of Conservatives that may be able to understand, and influence the decision to retain the Long Form Mandatory Census.) (copy-write restriction waived)