From the Inkless emailbox:
Dear Paul,
In recent weeks, the Fraser Institute has been pilloried and criticized in both the mainstream media and among the country’s political and academic elites for our support for making the 2011 long-form census voluntary, rather than mandatory.
Our rationale for opposing the mandatory long-form census comes down to a core belief that Canadians should not be forced to disclose private and non-essential personal information to the government.
In its current format, the long-form census requires Canadians to complete 40 burdensome pages of intrusive personal questions. Canadians are forced to disclose this information without good cause. The census has simply become a cheap way for academics, economists, and social scientists to get information that should be acquired using market surveys of the kind that are routinely conducted on a voluntary basis.
Having census data collected by a central government agency does not serve Canada’s interests, and it does not serve your interests.
If, like us, you believe that a less intrusive government will help make Canada a stronger and more prosperous nation, then help us continue our efforts to independently measure the success or failure of government policies.
Please donate to the Fraser Institute.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brett J. Skinner
President