... unless you're a living-in-the-dark CON, that is.
Oh sure, there's the token non-Tory contrarian questioning the purpose of the mandatory long-form Stats Canada questionaire, which has fostered a whopping three whole complaints to the privacy commissioner over the past 15 years.
Newspaper editorials are nearly unanimous; academia is too. Bankers and bureacrats, also. Geneologists, ditto. Stephen Harper's favourite (second) kicking post, those special interest groups that help the sick, underprivileged and visible and non-visible minorities? Count them as worried. Social planners, engineers, municipalities, policy planners, private businesses - they all have been aided in their work through information gleaned from the Canadian census.
Without a functioning, accurate census, more decisions like this will certainly be easier to slip past the great 'unwashed'.
So, while a virtually silent Harper leaves all the dodging and weaving for sock-puppet Tony Clement, the lie about why continues to stink.
If the issue was about privacy concerns, who raised them? Is it the cabal of religious right fanatics who've gained inside cabinet access through the likes of Darrel Reid? Wouldn't they love to see government eliminate its interest in solving the social ills, ie. a GWB-like platform that would result in religious groups controlling more social response agencies, here and abroad. Or is it the big business information industry that, perhaps, would love nothing better than control the data, the access and manner inwhich it is created? What do you think, Mr. Fraser Institute? Completely speculative on my part, but when Clement can ride a lie that Stats Canada on its own provided the option to rid themselves of this critical tool, I'm afraid even the most machavellian rationale must be examined.
This policy decision, which came about with no public consultation and no great study, according to Tony the talking Tory, must have had some big kahunas behind it. Who are they -- maybe they also know who secretly paid for Harper's run to the Alliance leadership? Or paid off McKay's bill after he turned all-Judas on the progressives who put him on that pedestal? Or is it just another piece to Harper's own remaking of Canada secret project? The one that he occasionally lets slip -- while the mainstream media keeps us comfortably warm in that pot of warming water?
It's up to us, and you, to keep up the heat on this one.
5 comments:
I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.
This government is trying to decrease the Federal presence in our lives. First it was the Court Challenges Program, then decreasing funding to a whole whack of groups that do active political advocacy with tax dollars, then pulling away from provincial level responsibilities.
Now they are making it so that if you don't tell the government your sexual orientation or ethnic origin, they don't have the power to jail you.
Yes sirree. The very tip of the iceberg.
But don't let that stop you from rallying around this flag.
Hey, is that a sense of humour i detect under that tinfoil? Keep it up -- sooner than later you'll recognize Harper for the jerk he is.
Rockfish,
...my old friend. Glad you could drop by (cue the evil music).
Yes that was a sense of humor. I have one. It just isn't that well developed. I only use when I've run out of talking points that the PMO supplies me with.
Well let me help you. The current talking points are: Why should Canadians fill out this Liberal census? Why should Liberals know how many bedrooms I have? etc.
Artfully trying to change the focus on all those who oppose this dumb decision into just "it's those Liberals" response.
Of course, on cue most of the CONners have followed suit. So do you like these tactics, or the fact that there was no discussion on this in the first place (other than behind close doors, with people of unknown) is now an agreeable way to govern on everything?
Canada Census
I vividly recall the exasperation of constituents during the last go-around of the Canada Census. There was a sense of intrusiveness and of big government invading where it didn’t belong. In the end, basic respect for government was diminished, and confidence in our public institutions was undermined.
So to be practical, the new Conservative government said that this time around, it would not put Canadians though the ordeal again. Interestingly, Britain is scrapping the whole census process. But now here in Canada, all the special interests have set their hair on fire about what Canada might loose due to the proposed little Census change. Every possible justification has arisen about why Canadians should be forced to answer the 'long-form', and why Canada needs to keep to the old ways.
The newsparer articles keep coming in the "summer silly season" when there is not much of importance to fill the pages. The over-the-top reaction to a little change, is perhaps about who's in charge, the voters or the unaccountable bureaucrats who love to spend other people's money. Two articles in the Van Sun today (July 23) from "the esteemed", spin their bias into serious sermons about their sacred 'long-form'. When one drills down to the real issue, it is not about the flawed forms or the reputation of statistical mathematics, but about the audacity of a government to touch their bureaucratic temples. Most can see through the so-called scientific spin. The whole "silly season" is an eye opener to the average voter, about vested interests verses the public interest. I hope there are more voluntary resignations to clean house.
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