Statement made on 27 September 2010 by Senator Claudette Tardif
Hon. Claudette Tardif (Deputy Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, in June, the government announced that, for the first time in 35 years, filling out the long-form census will no longer be mandatory, but voluntary. More than 350 groups, including provincial and municipal governments, have since spoken out against the government's measure because of the disastrous consequences it will have for provincial governments, towns and municipalities, community agencies, businesses and service agencies that use census data to develop policies, distribute resources and provide services.
This is one of many examples of the government making ideological decisions to the detriment of established fact. Where does this aversion to information come from?
My question is the following: why is this government willing to ignore all these groups and all these people who are speaking out against the voluntary nature of the long-form census and how does the government justify this ill-conceived measure?
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