ESSEX-UK-L Archives

From: Carolyn Perkes <>
Subject: Re: [Ess] The final Census?
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:00:38 -0400
References: <4C39A466.40805@yahoo.co.uk><4c39b45f.8113e30a.1bd3.59d4@mx.google.com><4C39EBDA.7040008@yahoo.co.uk><032b01cb211a$dc676120$95362360$%bradford@btinternet.com><B53BA743286A45C19749597D4BC81C23@pamzmocwe33zpr>
In-Reply-To: <B53BA743286A45C19749597D4BC81C23@pamzmocwe33zpr>

This is interesting because the current Canadian government is
attempting to win votes to shore up its minority status by telling
Canadians they no longer need "fear" being compelled to comply with
filling in the next Census. As if anyone in Canada has had something
to fear since 1851?
The argument for conducting a Census on a regular basis is that it
allows governments to plan for social and educational needs.
Obviously, not wanting to do a Census says something about a
government that doesn't want to know, or wishes to obfuscate
information about a country's population in difficult times.

Despite the wisdom conveyed by U.S. television, sampling and tea-party
biscuits just don't cut it.

Carolyn
(Canada)


On 11-Jul-10, at 5:41 PM, Pam Dale wrote:

> Hello from Brisbane Australia
>
> I have been following this thread with interest as I am a former
> employee of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. I not only worked
> on the census in 1966 & 1971 as an enumerator and later a team leader,
> but then joined the staff as an interviewer on regular surveys for 16
> years. I can see the same discussion happening here though I
> understand we are to have a census next year which is well into the
> planning stage. In a vast country such as Australia with so many
> people living in remote locations it would certainly be cost effective
> to do it differently. Enumerators use planes, boats and anything they
> can find to try to count everyone. The last census had a question at
> the end where people could agree for their basic information to be
> kept for genealogical purposes, to be released in 100 years.
>
> Pam in Brisbane
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Caroline Bradford" <>
> "'Essex post'" <>
> Subject: Re: [Ess] The final Census?
>
>
> There has been a huge amount of intellectual and political discussion
> about
> this in the US over recent years (hence the episode of The West Wing
> to
> which I referred!), and the compelling statistical argument seems to
> be in
> favour of sampling over enumeration. Googling will bring up plenty of
> interesting articles on the subject. If anyone doubts the
> sophistication of
> modern sampling techniques, they only have to look a short way back to
> May
> this year, when the exit poll predicted the result of the General
> Election
> with startling accuracy and was condescendingly laughed at by pundits
> until
> the actual results started to come in...
>
> Caroline
>
>

This thread:

• [Ess] The final Census? by Steve <>
  • Re: [Ess] The final Census? by "Caroline Bradford" <>
    • Re: [Ess] The final Census? by Steve <>