Liberals set to introduce bill to save mandatory long-form census

The Canadian Press Posted: 23/09/2010 3:00 PM
 OTTAWA - The opposition saved the gun registry, now they're trying to rescue the mandatory long-form census.  The Liberals are set to introduce a private member's bill that would make the long form mandatory under the Statistics Act.  Right now, the act only refers to the requirement to hold a census every five years.  The Conservatives axed the mandatory long-form in June and replaced it with a voluntary survey.  They said many Canadians found the long form intrusive, and they objected to the threat of penalties for not filling it out.  Leaders of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois say they would support a bill to bring the long-form census back. The Liberal bill would also remove the threat of jail time for those who do not fill out the long form.
------------
Don Quixote Solution:
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 payable 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.