Conservative cuts put half of Statscan jobs at risk
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/cuts-to-hit-statistics-canada-and-parks-canada/article2418557/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Morning%20News%20Update&utm_type=text&utm_content=Cuts%20to%20hit%20Statistics%20Canada%20and%20Parks%20Canada&utm_campaign=94651932
One of the issues I kept bringing up about open data and StatCan before the censuslessness of 2010 happened, was that it's loss of revenue was going to affect the conducting of other surveys about vulnerable peoples. Before the job cut announcements, that is precisely what happened (e.g., PALS). Now, with the 10% cut back, and the loss of revenue, there will be less access to data as there will just be less data produced.
I struggle with this issue, of free and loss of revenue. I wholeheartedly believe that the benefits to society of increased data access, in the long run, will outweigh the loss in revenue, but we do not know the cost of stopping to count our most vulnerable citizens, we also cannot ignore that loss in revenue has consequences if budgets are not increased to offset the reduction. I always thought that solely targeting StatCan in terms of making its data free what not the best place to exert pressure, but, pressuring the Treasury Board and Government to adequately fund StatCan to ensure they can make their data freely available was a better place to exert pressure.
Now I see how critical important that strategy was. This is something we need to consider when we do our work as making things free is not free, there is a cost, and I think it is critically important to think about what the cost will be.
Cheers
t
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Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
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