CUTS TO LONG-FORM CENSUS POSE THREAT TO OBTAINING CRUCIAL DATA USED BY SOCIAL SERVICES AND FOR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND FISCAL POLICY

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The federal government has announced that it will drop the mandatory long-form Census of Canada for 2011. It plans to replace it with a voluntary survey, the National Household Survey, to be distributed later next Spring.

Without long-form census data, it will be difficult for governments, health districts and community social service providers to respond effectively to shifting patterns of need. Local social service providers will be hampered most by the federal government's decision.

The reaction to the move announced by Industry Minister Tony Clement, who is responsible for Statistics Canada, has been negative. There has been considerable backlash from a wide range of organizations and institutions, the media and StatsCan, including the resignation of the head of StatsCan who warned that Ottawa's voluntary census proposal "will not work".

The Ontario government urged Ottawa to reconsider its decision, warning that the loss of detailed data threatens some provincial programs.

In a letter to Canada's chief statistician, deputy minister Peter Wallace said that the loss of census information will have a "lasting, negative impact" on some provincial programs. He cited the poverty reduction plan by name, suggesting that Ontario's efforts to help low-income residents will be hindered without detailed data on income, employment, education and home ownership.

The federal government justified the change, saying it wanted a "reasonable limit on what most Canadians felt was an intrusion into their personal privacy in terms of answering the longer form."

The proposed a new "voluntary" detailed short-form survey that will be sent to 30 per cent of Canadian households, however, will cost an additional $30 million.

Changing the method of obtaining data for the Census threatens the basis on which public policies - social, economic and fiscal - are developed. What's more a change now will result in the long-term loss of data and the inability to have consistent bases for comparison on future Census data gathering.

Social services agree that the decision will greatly impact on the ability of provinces, local municipalities, social service agencies, community organizations, financial institutions and international non-governmental organizations to plan and make funding decisions with confidence.

The change to the Census is the latest in measures taken by the Harper government on data gathering. In 2009, the Workplace and Employee Survey was cut. It was the only source of information on job vacancies, health benefits and private pension plans.

There were major methodological changes to the Survey of Household Spending that critics say will deprive us of critical information about how Canadians spend, save and borrow.

The lesser known Survey of Financial Security that tracks the distribution of assets and debts across regions, income groups, age groups and family types has been deemed unnecessary as was the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada.

Up to now one-fifth of Canadians have been required to fill out the long-form Census questionnaire the national census every five years. Their individual responses are kept strictly confidential under Statistics Canada's extensive privacy protections.

The long-form census provides a rich source of statistically significant information that is vital to a range of research and policy initiatives.

We have included some background information links here.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Ontario
Ontario blasts plan to scrap long-form census
The Ontario government warns the loss of detailed census data threatens some provincial programs including poverty reduction strategy.

Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-the-Canada-Census-Long-Form/141550925859979

The Globe and Mail Editorial
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/why-you-should-care-about-the-long-census-forms-demise/article1630413/

CBC Radio: Armine Yalnizyan, Centre for Policy Alternatives
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/listen-ccpas-yalnizyan-take-census-longform-debacle-cbc-radio

Armine Yalnizyan also comments on the decision:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/ccpa-senior-economist-calls-statistics-canadas-census-decision-senseless

Canadian Association of University Teachers
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/July2010/02/c9863.html

The Toronto Star Editorial
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/831021--wrong-move-on-census

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