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TonyClement_MP, what's the big idea?

Short Form

The census is changing. So, too, Statistics Canada.

This will involve the responsible Minister (Governor in Council) affirming his latent powers.
This will be complimented by high-levels of collaboration between Minister and Chief Statistician.

The Minister will permanently invoke Section 5 (Temporary Employees) in order to diffusely aggregate census-like information in support of the Statistics Act, Section 22 (a) - (u).

Long Form

This is about privacy. But the following is about public-ity.
 
In a recent blog post, @stephantelka suggests that the Canadian census debate is an opportunity for public dialogue. What shapes would the dialogue take? Stephan offers three possibilities. Face-to-face dialogues around the country. An online consultation, perhaps using ChoiceBook. Perhaps an online chat with Tony. As to whether or not these events are likely... not as important as Stephan's admonishment. 
 
It is through listening to understand, exploring and testing one’s personal assumptions, searching for strengths and value in other positions, and seeking an outcome that creates new common ground that sustainable decisions can be found on this issue and other pressing public policy issues.

I like that idea... new common ground. Or maybe novel common ground, new to many of us but not literally new, maybe ground that's just been unoccupied till now. What do they call that? Crown ground? What crown-commonality is between all of us? How can we make it work? Listening? Understanding? Exploring? Testing? Searching? Seeking? Sustainable decisions?

Today Minister Clement "testified" to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Within government committee context, testimony equates to answering questions posed  but at times Clement was more like a Tony Hayward. He dodged questions and kept  his course. In the video below at 1:30 Clement reveals part of the Conservative position. We are balancing privacy concerns with the desire for "more and more data." 
 
note: I wish there was a way to remove the video's title when embedding. i need the video file, not the opinion of the uploader. 

Clement's notion of more and more data suggests the perception of a trajectory. The long form has been growing, and in places like the United States numbers around 300 questions. This desire for data has turned course South of the border. Census workers now employ GPS tools, and like Google are busy mapping every point and place. Nothing much. They just 'tag' your front door. The US Census Bureau justifies the census this way. Unlike the US website dedicated solely to privacy issues,  I could not find any equivalent Canadian site. Seems there's more room for U.S. agencies to create sites as they need fit. They might be on to something down there. Where was I? Slightly lost. Found it! One page on privacy. Actually, it's on confidentiality.

Clement suggests that in light of growing resentment, on the one hand, and a civil society and bureaucracy foaming evermore for data on the other, a balance must be struck. As some Americans duly point out, one must answer one simple question, not the other 8 or 9 -- how many people live at this address? In Canada this is mandated through the Statistics Act,  Actually it's section 19.1 and 19.2. Like in the US and elsewhere, it's for the purposes of Federal elections and the maintenance of responsible government. That should have cross-isle support.

Population census

19.

 (1) A census of population of Canada shall be taken by Statistics Canada in the month of June in the year 1971, and every fifth year thereafter in a month to be fixed by the Governor in Council.

Counts of electoral divisions

(2) The census of population shall be taken in such a manner as to ensure that counts of the population are provided for each federal electoral district of Canada, as constituted at the time of each census of population.

If I read things right, the questions on the short form extraneous to the household and its number of occupants, as well as the long form which is being put within the National Household Survey come just after the legally mandated agriculture census, under section 21.

Census questions

21.

 (1) The Governor in Council shall, by order, prescribe the questions to be asked in any census taken by Statistics Canada under section 19 or 20.
 
While we're on the Act, lets clarify the whole fine or imprisonment thing.
 

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.

 

It's clear that clause 31 applies to all requirements in the Act, which includes exchange between parties and the Chief Statistician, including the Minister of "National Revenue." To be clear, (a) applies to the State-related aspects of the Act while (b) applies to the homeowner, the dweller, the citizen, i.e. those subject to the completion of schedules and forms. The penalty for either (a) or (b) is $500 or 3 months or less in jail, plus, it seems, other reprimands for State-stuff. It does also seem, that contrary to the US Code, Canadians must answer those 7,8 or 9 other questions prescribed by the Governor in Council, though he does prescribe under either section 19 or 20. Either way, the Act makes clear that beyond questions of population, all other questions are prescriptions.

...

Wait. 

I do want to stop with this Act. 

Believe that, you. 

But there's just too much there. Section 5. "Temporary" Employees.

 

Temporary employees

5.

(1) The Minister may employ, in the manner authorized by law, such commissioners, enumerators, agents or other persons as are necessary to collect for Statistics Canada such statistics and information as the Minister deems useful and in the public interest relating to such commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and other activities as the Minister may determine, and the duties of the commissioners, enumerators, agents or other persons shall be those duties prescribed by the Minister.

Public servants

(2) The Minister may, for such periods as the Minister may determine, use the services of any employee of the public service of Canada in the exercise or performance of any duty, power or function of Statistics Canada or an officer of Statistics Canada under this Act or any other Act, and any person whose services are so used shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be a person employed under this Act.

Contracted services

(3) Any persons retained under contract to perform special services for the Minister pursuant to this Act and the employees and agents of those persons shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be persons employed under this Act while performing those services. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 5

 

 
People around Ottawa know that temp help is the new normal. It's like that at program level, and I also suspect it'll become commonplace for Statistics Canada. I tentatively predict that Minister Clement and his Counsel plan on making the temporary permanent. Huh? 
 
If not, then this blog is all the swifter. Either way, let me brief-ly bring you up to speed. 
 
Statistics Canada is to be born again. The formula will be part magic but rooted in Act. The mise en scene is being set as we chaotically publish, but the actual plot line remains opaque. From what we can gather at this time, it seems things will pivot around "The Minister." Who would have guessed? The Minister in lights! He's to be directing things, and the script will have some guidelines.

 

 
#1:
In lieu of a dependable voluntary long form judged as such by Earth's top statisticians, the Chief Statistician will inform the Minister of an alternative program for Section 22 (a) - (u) of the Act.

i.e. 

(c) health and welfare;

(d) law enforcement, the administration of justice and corrections;

(e) government and business finance;

(f) immigration and emigration;

(g) education;

(h) labour and employment;

(i) commerce with other countries;

(j) prices and the cost of living;

(k) forestry, fishing and trapping;

(l) mines, quarries and wells;

(m) manufacturing;

(n) construction;

(o) transportation, storage and communication;

(p) electric power, gas and water utilities;

(q) wholesale and retail trade;

(r) finance, insurance and real estate;

(s) public administration;

(t) community, business and personal services; and

(u) any other matters prescribed by the Minister or by the Governor in Council. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 21; 1976-77, c. 54, s. 74.

 

#2:
The Chief Statistician (CS) will examine the use of meta-technologies such as NAICS and United Nations industrial classifications, including more novel technologies such as ontologies, RDF, RDFS, and OWL, and all other related formatting standards.

Coding system for goods

22.1

 (1) The Chief Statistician shall establish a coding system for goods imported into and exported from Canada to enable the Chief Statistician to collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistics in relation to those goods.

#3:
The CS will facilitate the delivery of data to the Solicitor General of Canada through consultation and advisory to government departments on matters of data capture, storage, conversion and transfer.

Return of exports and imports from Customs

25.

 For the purposes of this Act and subject to section 17, the Solicitor General of Canada shall cause to be sent to the Chief Statistician returns of imports and exports into and from Canada and details of the means of transportation used therefor, in such manner and at such times as the Governor in Council may prescribe on the recommendation of the Minister and the Solicitor General of Canada. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 23; 1976-77, c. 28, s. 41; 2005, c. 38.

#4:

The Minister must consult the CS about ideal modes of capturing and conserving criminal statistics, including the procedures of court systems. Upon this would bear considerations about the actual proceedings, pressures and current daily practices of the courts, as relates to information. Section 26-29.

 

26.

 

 The clerk of every court or tribunal administering criminal justice or, where there is no clerk, the judge or other functionary presiding over the court or tribunal shall, at such times, in such manner and respecting such periods as the Minister may direct, fill in and transmit the schedules he receives relating to the criminal business transacted in the court or tribunal. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 24.

 

#5:
 The general program prescribed by the Minister (Section 21 +) appreciates the traditional pressures and evolutionary stresses on data-capturing agencies. It conceives broadly of an open program for public-serving entities to legally collect information, and to share it openly and privately, as is legal and appropriate.
 
Zones: commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people;

 

Statistics bureau

3.

 There shall continue to be a statistics bureau under the Minister, to be known as Statistics Canada, the duties of which are

(a) to collect, compile, analyse, abstract and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, financial, social, economic and general activities and condition of the people;

 

#6:

To advise on the development of a secure framework for distributed information gathering based on cooperative, horizontal sharing agreements.

To outline a vigorous program for the daily, qualitative renewal of the public service's administration through re-considering the role of information communications technologies and processes of data and documents storage, business processes and their ongoing connection to program and department data sharing agreements respecting privacy and suitability.

Demonstrate collaborative work agreements that respect privacy and promote conjoined effort.

It's in the Act. It's part of the duties.

(c) says that the short form, however short, and the agricultural survey continue.

Other than that, things retreat to a register type of system, like in Belgium. But that system has its difficulties, as the linked essay argues.

The answer is to work with the full energy of the duties already assigned.

They are:

 

(b) to collaborate with departments of government in the collection, compilation and publication of statistical information, including statistics derived from the activities of those departments;

 

 

(c) to take the census of population of Canada and the census of agriculture of Canada as provided in this Act;

 

 

(d) to promote the avoidance of duplication in the information collected by departments of government; and

 

 

(e) generally, to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to the whole of Canada and to each of the provinces thereof and to coordinate plans for the integration of those statistics. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 3.

 

 

#7:

The innovation is in the earlier citation, form Section 5 (1), (2) and (3). 

Temporary employees will be used creatively and dynamically through an ongoing mix of relationships and partnerships. Section 5 gives the Minister and the Chief Statistician a full go ahead to design the temporary parameters however they see fit.

The dynamic part is that the Minister can utilize any public servant to fulfill an aspect of "the Act" or any other Act. This means a world of possibilities, challenges, dangers and novel options.

2) The Minister may, for such periods as the Minister may determine, use the services of any employee of the public service of Canada in the exercise or performance of any duty, power or function of Statistics Canada or an officer of Statistics Canada under this Act or any other Act, and any person whose services are so used shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be a person employed under this Act.

Ultimately, the Minister has full designation over the programming of Statistics Canada. But collaboration is written into the Act in white.

The bureau and the CS bring forth outlines and concepts of overall programming, to be analyzed, critiqued and amended by the Minister.

Still, the Minister sets out all procedures and has full authority.

Rules and instructions

7.
 The Minister may, by order, prescribe such rules, instructions, schedules and forms as the Minister deems requisite for conducting the work and business of Statistics Canada, the collecting, compiling and publishing of statistics and other information and the taking of any census authorized by this Act. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 7.

  Lastly,

#8:

The Provnices

It's the longest section. There's lots of wiggle room. Compromises are already in place. The renewal of those MOUs is part of this historical transition.

In the Wake of Change

The census is about public-ity. That's why population figures have to be collected. Public-anything is related to the division of land and representation. These basic statistics make things functional, perhaps though not well-functioning. The census is public because it enables people, publics, to exercise and maintain the State through elections and correctly allotted representation. The integrity and independence of these institutions is necessary. The "control" that certain Commonwealth Cabinets attempt to assert through the powers of the Minister are "within limits" but don't necessarily excel or display wisdom. As Tony Clement testified to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, he doesn't possess the full picture. He is a politician, he says. Someone balancing interests with advice. This balancing act is not marked just by balancing. In its fullest, the Minister exercising discretion is bringing together an acute awareness of the state of things, the condition of the people, the conditions of the Government and the capabilities of a well-trained, highly professional civil service eager to render the country as healthy and well-off as possible. Awareness through public intelligence aggregation and sharing leads to more prosperous conditions.

Along with the NHS, the long form will add to the overall picture of Canadian society. But its utility won't be recognized for awhile. Its contribution will be appreciated when a robust program for internal and inter-governmental data sharing grows and can be used in tandem with other voluntary sampling. This direction of things necessarily involves a much more active Minister. In Canada, power of this type is arguably equivalent to the power of political appointees in the American White House. Whereas in Canada authority over the census has always resided with the Minister but has yet been fully asserted through direction and collaboration, the White House has always worked through the Secretary of the Department of Commerce. The White House might have common reason to more fully direct the census. Best practices are being radically redefined around the world, and the US or Canada are no exemptions.
 
The battle over the US census relates to counting people for federal electoral districts and the arrangement of voting districts. This is a much more active field in the US, but perhaps there's need or talk of also redrawing Canadian voting divisions. I'm not sure what it all involves, but there seems to be a long history of changes.

However you spin it, it's a touchy subject! Even down South. 

But up North, what's the actual plan, Minister? A shifted long form isn't it. And you know otherwise, right? So... what do you know based on Cabinet con-sensus? Out with it, lest we stir and speculate and cause confusion, as demonstrated below. Hey @TonyClement_MP, what's the big idea? We're all wondering, waiting, listening, understanding, exploring, testing, searching, seeking out some sustainable decisions. Join in!
 
Unlike in the US, Tony's not talking about re-locating power. He's talking about joining in and being a more full participant. Go for it! Otherwise people start worrying about manipulative intentions. Things turn sour quickly. Then you're not an effective institution builder. Then they try and call in different contractors, crying foul play. Then you spark mobs. Then they act on their own. Then control gets trickier. Don't wait. Better to call in reinforcements now. Spark a conversation that'll change the country. Some credit should accrue.

 

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