wooot! almost done my census.. YAY!!! I got chosen for the long form!

I just got off the phone from Stats Can.

The woman I spoke with had to submit my request to higher-ups as she and her supervisor could not give me an actual legal reference to state that it was mandatory.

The Act itself says nothing...only telling of answering the questions honestly.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html

Deank wrote:.

I cant see what in there people would have an objection to.

It was an academic exercise from my point of view only.

here is the long survey

http://nhs.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm_r006-eng.htm

anyone see anything worth refusing to answer?

Is it mandatory or voluntary?

voluntary

http://nhs.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm_r005-eng.htm

Data quality


Response rates


In its initial planning, Statistics Canada assumed a response
rate for a mandatory 2011 Census long-form of 94%, identical to that
achieved for the 2006 Census.
Statistics Canada has assumed a response rate of 50% for the voluntary National Household Survey.

AND.. the regular census is mandatory

"
Do people have to participate in the census?


All residents of Canada are legally required to complete the census questionnaire, according to the Statistics Act.
Statistics Canada is bound by law to protect the
confidentiality of the information respondents provide in the census.
Only Statistics Canada employees have access to census questionnaires."http://census2011.gc.ca/ccr_r007-eng.htm

best referred to as an empty threat.

If you search the Act it says nothing about it being mandatory.

Even the woman on the phone, and her supervisor, could not give me a definitive answer as to exactly where it is spelled out in the Act.

As I've said, they do address the issue of providing false info, but that's not the same issue.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/about-apercu/act-loi-eng.htm

False or unlawful information


31. Every person who, without lawful excuse,
(a) refuses or neglects to answer, or wilfully answers
falsely, any question requisite for obtaining any information sought in
respect of the objects of this Act or pertinent thereto that has been
asked of him by any person employed or deemed to be employed under this
Act, or
(b) refuses or neglects to furnish any information or to fill
in to the best of his knowledge and belief any schedule or form that the
person has been required to fill in, and to return the same when and as
required of him pursuant to this Act, or knowingly gives false or
misleading information or practises any other deception thereunder
is, for every refusal or neglect, or false answer or deception,
guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not
exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding three months or to both. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 29.

In the time it took to research the census' mandatoriness, you could have finished it and had it in the mail already!

exactly!

even the long form voluntary one only takes about 10 minutes

especially done online where it is click click click

Mantha wrote:In the time it took to research the census' mandatoriness, you could have finished it and had it in the mail already!

Like I said before, it is an acedemic exercise.

I'm eagerly awaiting the reply from Stats Can.

"I'm eagerly awaiting the reply from Stats Can."

or you can just as easily look at the link and quote I provided.

I got the short one. I did it online in less than three minutes.