2021 census arriving in a nightmare scenario

2021 census arriving in a nightmare scenario
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
    Statistics Canada in their bureaucratic wisdom, with the enthu
siastic support of the Liberal government, has decided to go ahead with the census of Canadians this year, in the middle of the pandemic.
The last census was taken in 2016, and by law, it is supposed to be taken in 2021.
Section 8 of the Constitution Act, 1867 mandates that a national census must be done every 10 years, on years ending in 1 (1871, 1881, 1891, etc.). However, the section has been interpreted to mean that a census cannot be conducted beyond that 10-year period, but this does not indicate that a census cannot be conducted more regularly-such as every 5 years, as is now required of Statistics Canada by the Statistic Act of 1971.
So, Statistics Canada conducts a national census of population and a census of agriculture every five years and releases the data with a two-year lag.
The Census of Population provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services such as health care, education, and transportation; determine federal transfer payments; and determine the number of Members of Parliament for each province and territory.
The Census of Population is the primary source of sociodemographic data for specific population groups, such as lone-parent families, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, seniors and language groups.
Data from the census is also used to assess the economic state of the country, including the economic conditions of immigrants over time, and labour market activity of communities and specific populations.
Census data are also leveraged to develop socioeconomic status indicators in support of analysis of various impacts on education achievement and outcomes.
Now the question to federal politicians is, why they cannot make a provisional amendment to the Statistics Act in order to take care of the exceptional circumstances and problems raised by the Covid-19 pandemic and postpone the census till the end of the pandemic?
Apparently Statistics Canada has no problem to run the census. They say they are aware that COVID-19 may have an impact on the way Canadians answer some of the census questions, including those on employment, education, commuting and expenditures.
The question is how this exceptional circumstance is defining the scope of the census and how it will reflect the after pandemic effects which will really define the future of Canada. Any thoughts?
For some Canadians it's never a great time to fill out a census form, especially at this critical time. This year, for the first time in its history, Statistics Canada is asking them to do it during a pandemic.
The country's chief statistician says this is precisely the time to find out more about how Canadians are living, working and commuting, because COVID-19 has thrown those things into flux. Is this right and sensitive?
"Getting a snapshot now is absolutely crucial," said Anil Arora. "All these trends that are happening at this time are really important for us to take note of because ... so many policy makers will look at what's happening now and see what do we want to retain, what do we want to change?" The question is, if the data will only be available after two years, how actual will it be?
Though many Canadians aren't commuting to work these days, the census will still ask how they are getting there, though it will offer more options, including multi-modal transport - cycling part of the way before hopping on a bus or LRT, for example.
This census will ask Canadians to list the language in which they received their education. It will also include a question on gender, giving respondents the opportunity to identify themselves as transgender or non-binary.
Canadians will be receiving their access code in the mail, and Statistics Canada hopes that people will file their answers on line.
Canvassers could still knock on doors in areas where the response rate has been low, but they'll be wearing masks and keeping their distance.
"We are absolutely aware of the situation. We understand ... people would have, rightfully so, concerns about their safety," Arora said.
And do not forget that the census has its requirements. The Liberal government brought back the mandatory long-form census and takes pride in doing so. In their opinion the long-form census is key to getting good data about Canadians.
So, when the country is gripped in survival mode and economic hardship, Statistic Canada enjoys its time planning for the census with the government chorus singing support and the opposition of the day insensitive to its citizens. Isn't this akin to the scenario of 'Rome is burning and Nero is playing the fiddle'?
In conclusion enjoy the upcoming census!