MPs get letters: Stockwell Day's pushback on census jumps more than 200 per cent!!
Earlier this week, Treasury Board President Stockwell Day held a press conference where the subject of the census came up. Here's the transcript:
Mike De Souza (PostMedia): What kind of reaction have you been getting from your constituents and among caucus – within your colleagues on this decision over the summer? Can you describe what people are saying, what they’re saying to you?
Day: Well, I’ll give you just what I’m finding on the street and not just in my own constituency, in Vancouver where I’ve been having a number of days of meetings also in my constituency. I’ve got a fairly responsive constituency. People get in touch with me quite quickly when there’s issues that are upsetting to them. In all the meetings that I’ve been having, whether it’s one-on-one, whether it’s at the roundtables, in my constituency over the summer, and I’m out there a lot, I think I have heard directly from three people on this. In meetings, including roundtables in Vancouver on a variety of issues, it has come up twice. It came up once when I was in Kitimat and once in Prince Rupert. I’m not saying that’s the number of people who are concerned. You asked me what am I hearing and I’m telling you people are pretty responsive on issues that are bothering them and that’s what I’ve heard so —
De Souza: And those people, they are concerned about the decision?
Day: A couple of those were saying, yeah, how are we going to get certain types of information. They were raising from a point of concern about getting information and others were saying what is the stir all about here? So I’m just giving you the – now I’ve heard about a lot of other issues but that’s what I’ve heard on that one.
The Thompson family has responded to Day's comments and was kind enough to send a copy of them my way:
Dear Mr. Day,
While enjoying a day at the cottage today my family came across an article by Jane Taber which mentioned that that in a press conference today you have only heard from three complaints from Canadians over your governments decision to scrap the long-form census.
I would like to register an additional seven complaints from around our table (we are concerned there might be an issue with your e-mail - please let us know if you receive this if not I can send a hard copy).
Your governments decision to manufacture this issue is reckless and completely ideologically driven. I'm sure you have heard the many reasons that this is clearly an attack on reliable data that severely hurts minorities and those most vulnerable in our society. It also will make it much more difficult to create effective policy based on sound statistical evidence (but maybe that's not a big deal because your "sense" on crime rates and other things is probably better then the "census" that of our world-renowned statistics agency used to reliably produce). On top of all this despite your talking points which we have heard so much - no one has ever gone to jail for not filling out the census. Just thought I'd make sure you've heard that.
This is a serious issue and we would urge you to re-consider. This will have serious damaging effects on statistical reliability in Canada and there is simply no reason to implement this change. You know as well as everyone else that the outrage has been manufactured and even the polls are against you. Turn back this decision and protect fact based decision making in this country.
Sincerely,
Chris Thompson
Carolyn Thompson
Steven Thompson
David Thompson
Lynne Green
Susan Johnson
David Johnson
