(2 – I never said personal date was sold – it was implied that only its findings are sold.
The findings are not personal data. So, selling findings (statistics) to anyone does not violate anyone's privacy…. so what's your point?)

Once again, “personal data” is not what I'm raising. My point is (drum roll, please) – stats are sold to private interests. What is the raison d'être of StatsCan? To help businesses or to help government policy?

(3 – Harper has made the Colvin affair into a mountain, by refusing to cooperate in clearing away the molehill. Where's the accountability and transparency that Harper promised?)

Actually, no. The loyal opposition made a mountain out of a molehill with unproven allegations from Colvin.

(4 – Why would anyone agree to attend any Parliamentary order?
A Parliamentary order is a Parliamentary order. Or do the CPC only follow parliamentary rules when it suits them? Why is Harper hiding from this? See #3 above.)

OK – Why would parliament even issue an order based on unproven allegations? And that “parliamentary order” was issued by a kangaroo committee. So Harper didn't attend or any of his minions – so what? Was it illegal?

(Just about all of the CPC's contentious moves have come from the GOP playbook of 5+ years ago.)

Your complaining that conservatives follow conservative policy and somehow Dubya is somehow connected to Canada? That's just wrong, and you know it.

One thing I should make clear – I support the short form but not the long form. And yes, I was threatened with jail and fines.

If the supporters want to fill out the long form, then just add un-necessary data to the short form. There – problem solved.

Now in regards to the left who complain about it hurting the statistical data by making it voluntary. Yes it does, however in reality the impact on the overall data would be minor, we’re talking about a percentage, not 10 or 20% inaccuracy. The Long form census and Short form census have both been effectively voluntary for decades because there is no enforcement to make it mandatory, and people who don’t want to do it simply won’t.

So in summary what I’m basically saying is that this change has no real impact positive or negative other then we have something new to polarize ourselves on. My thoughts as to why this is going through probably has more do with Harper trying to bait the opposition into calling an election by taking on minor issues that don’t have long term impact with voters. I believe that is silence on the issue is the biggest indicator to that.

Perhaps you can refer me to your article on the topic?

http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/human…