Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Before becoming an MP in 2011, I spent more than two years working at the Institut de la statistique du Québec. I find statistics fascinating.
While you may find it acceptable, I agree with my colleague that a 69% household response rate falls well below the significance threshold in terms of providing critical data. Having spent more than two years at the Institut de la statistique du Québec, I saw the difference in response rates between mandatory and voluntary surveys. It was day and night. The responses provided by people who are busy and have little time to spend on the questionnaire represent vital information that has to be part of the whole in order to reduce the margin of error as much as possible.
In Quebec, some people are wondering whether the province shouldn't collect all its own statistical data, questioning whether data obtained by Statistics Canada on a voluntary basis can really be trusted. They are wondering where the response threshold should be in order to provide meaningful data.