Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette:

Honourable senators, if only we could believe that the government is concerned about people's rights when it focuses on making sure that people fill in the mandatory form. But this is a self-professed law and order government, and it seems to me that it is every Canadian's civic duty to provide information that will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality by an independent organization to enable the government — along with all governments and all Canadian businesses and researchers — to learn the facts about Canadians. However, this sample will not be scientifically valid because there is a difference between the information people volunteer and the information they are required to provide, when such information is collected on a mandatory form.

My question is very simple: Either you think that this is a pointless exercise and therefore feel no need to ensure that you get a scientifically sound sample, or you simply do not think it is important to collect data that will enable governments seeking policy direction in a particular area to make decisions later on.

Please click here to read the full text of the Senator's question

Recent Statements from Liberal Senators