http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/statscans-chief-economic-analyst-quits/article2323013/Statscan’s chief economic analyst quits
It is very troubling when the nation's top data producing agency
squashes debate and pretends that the data it is producing is
'methodological sound and scientifically valid' and communications
departments call the shots and not the scientists, methodologists and
subject matter specialists. The governments is promoting transparency
on one side (e.g. TBS), Canada has signed onto the Open Government
Partnership, and government websites are disclosing budgets and
performance reports, yet transparency is not culturaly normalized in
government institutions and management structures. This this is where
'real' transparency needs to occur, otherwise what is the point of a
democracy when telling the truth is a carreer limiting move. I do not
want to live in a culture of yes people, divergent views is where we
learn, test and re-evaluate.
Thanks to the resignation of the chief economic analyst, at least we
know why non custom and non small geography national household survey
data will be free - it ain't good data!
Open data means good data, and transparency means more than the
disclosure section on a government website. It is also interesting
that the 10 principles of open data do not include 'quality, reliable,
accurate and authentic data'
(
http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/documents/ten-open-data-principles/).
I think it is time for a new principal and for some government
principals.
We know that Philip Cross adheres to and understands both, it is a
shame that good and smart people have to resign for us to hear what is
really going on. I want a government full of smart people doing the
right thing according to their mandates and the ethicsal standards of
their professions and disciplines. To me that is just plain part of
good governance. Othewise, how can we trust what the government
produces, and honestly, I do not want to distrust the Canadian
government, I live in Ottawa and I know lots of good people with
integrity who are the best we can ask for who are also public
servants, unfortunately for them, the climate they are working in is
testing their resolve, and people are keeping their heads low.
My faith in government keeps being tested these days and I fear that
this new culture of yes people will be the new norm, which may
perpetuate mediocrity, which is unfortunate as we have a great
country, and it would be great if it could be governed by great people
who can take us to greater and better heights, instead of great people
who cannot tell the truth and by not doing so mislead us.
t
--
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
"Every epoch dreams the one that follows it's the dream form of the
future, not its reality" it is the "wish image of the collective".
Walter Benjamin, between 1927-1940,
(
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/architecture/ockman/pdfs/dossier_4/buck-morss.pdf)
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