Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The Federal Governments decision to replace the 2011 Canadian mandatory Census long form with a voluntary “National Household Survey” has been a hotly debated issue since Canada’s minister of industry Tony Clement announced the change earlier this summer. Despite widespread criticism and weak public support for the change, it appears likely that the Harper Government will follow through on their controversial plan. In the past, the mandatory Canadian Census has been held every five years with 80 percent of the households receiving the short form and 20 percent the long form. Under the new proposal, all households would receive the mandatory Census short form and one month later, one third of those would be asked to voluntarily complete the long form survey. The speakers will explain the importance of the Census long form information and evaluate the possible consequences of the voluntary vs. mandatory aspect of the proposed changes, regarding both near and long term. Speakers: Susan McDaniel and Heidi