Posted by
Tracey P. Lauriault-2 on
May 15, 2006; 7:35pm
URL: http://civicaccess.416.s1.nabble.com/Re-Census-2006-statistics-tp583p586.html
Great Judith!
Any sources on where to find the "proper form" information? Have you
done this before?
I created a spot here and have included your thoughts & question:
http://civicaccess.ca/wiki/CensusAction
Also responses in-line
Judyth wrote:
Hugh McGuire [hidden email] wrote:
agree paper petition & letter-writing is best option. MPs are legally
required to respond to paper letters, but not so with emails.
True but it goes even further than that: if an MP receives a paper petition in the proper form, duly signed by 25 voters, he/she *must* table it in the Commons and it becomes a part of the public record.
"Proper form" means the petition is formally addressed to the House of Commons and the full text of the (brief) petition is on the same sheet the voters sign. Signatories must also print their full names and addresses as well as signing, so that their signatures can be verified.
In terms of tactics, this means it can be a downright advantage to prepare the sheets to take only 25-30 names and have MPs table a big stack of paper each on an issue, or have them come in repeatedly to add more petitions on the same issue.
Wonderful! ACTION: What is the "proper form"?.
Getting back to the issue of census information release, the current census gives an option for people to authorize release of their personal data after 92 years and encourages people to check it off so their descendents can research their families. I suppose the idea is that people might want to remain unfindable until after they're dead.
Still, there is no earthly reason why the statistics, rather than the personal data, shouldn't be released to the public as soon as it's in the database ... except insofar as StatsCan makes money selling the aggregated data to private interests, whereas it would cost money to make it available free to all.
Can anyone think of a good argument for the government foregoing the income and assuming the extra costs, just so the citizenry can get access to information on their own country?
It would be great to get as many valid answers to this as possible! If
we brainstorm here on the list, i will gladly put on the wiki, or you
can do that to! I posted the question and these already.
2 big reasons:
a) Cost more to manage selling it than it does to give it away!
b) As a society we all loose (this pres provides a nice community
online mapping argument in the second half -
http://www.pnclink.org/pnc2005/chi/Presentation-PDF/018-Andrea%20Huang-GIS2.pdf)
would be good to get quotes and such.
By "good" I mean one which would make sense to politicians who are both fiscally and socially conservative,
Yap! You are right!
rather than the ones that come naturally to us like the need for Canadians to know their own country better and the principle that since they're paying for the data they should have the right to see it. We already know how little those in control look forward to broader public access to publicily-funded information...
niice!
Regards,
Judyth
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Judyth Mermelstein "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC [hidden email]
Canada H4C 2P9 [hidden email]
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"A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
"Un mot suffit aux sages; pour les autres, il en faut plus."
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