The Chosen Ones

My experience with the Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics Canada

This 2003 article now resides at Google Docs for continued reference because its original location at my old site, YayaCanada.com will cease to exist within the next month.

I still occasionally receive responses and queries as Stats Canada continues to threaten people into disclosing the private details of their lives, and I want the article to remain accessible.

If you haven't read it yet, you might find it interesting.

Please be advised that I can't advise what you personally should do when Stats Canada intrudes on your home and privacy, holding fines and/or a jail term over your head if you fail to comply, but I hope that my experience and those of a few readers who shared theirs, will be of some aid and comfort.

With regard to the 2006 Census, apparently several hundred thousand Canadians failed to comply. There were two notable charges covered by the media. One of those charged, Todd Stelmach lives in Kingston, which is where the original "Count Me Out" campaign began. Vive le Canada produced a report in July 2008 on the two and provided links to all the media coverage.

Hats off to anyone who had the courage to face down Stats Canada. It's time the government returned to serving the people and not trying to force the people to serve the government.

From item #2 the VLC report:

A repeated theme of my work over the years has been that Government use of "spin doctors" or "communications specialists" also contributes to the undermining of our system of governance. We learn to mistrust what the GOvernment says, because too many times we see through the spin. It is as though we are thought to be stupid.

In the G&M article above, Census branch director-general Peter Morrison is quoted: "Mr. Morrison called the response to the census a "resounding success," especially on Canada's native reserves."

The response to the Census was a disaster that caused large cost overruns as the Government sought to get compliance.

Here's a report of the decision in Todd Stelmach's case (April 2009).

Sandra Findley's case was referred by the judge in January 2009 to a case management meeting and nothing further seems to have been reported about it. One assumes that no news is good news.

Related YYC blog entry: Mark of the Beast