On how this government "works".
1. Destroy the census for ideological reasons.
2. Have one of your major constituencies tell you in no uncertain terms it needs reliable data.
3. Scramble about, looking for a way to collect the data, without upsetting the "fallout shelter" base of the party.
4. Seriously consider the most secretive way possible to collect the data, a method that makes the mandatory census method look like a mild intrusion of privacy by comparison. On the other hand, it is done in secret and so the boys in the shelters are not distracted from howling about people wearing veils while voting.
That is our government at work. Makes me proud.
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“I’m asking Canadians to suspend judgment because there’s no scientific basis for saying this is going to be fundamentally flawed.”
ReplyDeleteLooks like Stats Can (read Harper) promoted a flak catcher aka Communications Director to the Chief Statistician job.
From his bio:
...Wayne R. Smith completed an Honours B.A. and Masters degree in Economics at Carleton University in Ottawa. His early career was in the library, academic and news media sectors. In 1981, he joined Statistics Canada, working in the advisory services, communications, census and agriculture programs before becoming Director of Communications Division in 1990...
http://www42.statcan.ca/smr09/smr09_024-eng.htm
No scientific basis, except all of the statisticians in the country are saying the census will be unreliable. That isn't scientific, but then neither is the method they are using to run the census.
ReplyDeleteBut as you point out, accuracy, reliability and sound scientific methodology aren't really the point.
ReplyDelete