Evidence of meeting #95 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was questions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We're going to send you the wording of the questions—a draft of the questions—that will be used for the qualitative census tests.
A number of Canadians have specific characteristics that we can identify. We're going to meet with them, have them complete the questionnaire and see if they have any questions to ask, if they understand and if there are any issues. We are very familiar with the issue of schooling and attending immersion programs rather than a minority school. In Quebec, many students attend English school, but they receive their education in French because it is part of an immersion program. However, when they reach high school, they go to English school.
So all these considerations will be checked and tested with a sample of Canadians.
Assistant Chief Statistician, Social, Health and Labour Statistics, Statistics Canada
These are several questions.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Is that several suggested questions or a question with many parts?
It is not the same thing. You might say that you have four questions to test to see which is the best, but that is not what you want to do. You have one question, which you have chosen as the best draft. As I understand it, there are various parts that will allow us to identify all the rights holders. That is what I understand. Is that correct?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
It is a question module. This module seeks to identify all the required elements in order to enumerate rights holders pursuant section 23, and its various subsections and paragraphs.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
As I said, that is being discussed by the methodology specialists because you know that Statistics Canada has to assess—and this is an important consideration—the response burden for the whole population. All I can say right now is that this is all being discussed.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
It is something important to know. If the questions are in the long form, they are not for everyone. If they are instead in the short form, they are for everyone. Is that correct?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
The short form is administered to 75% of the population and the long form to 25% of the population.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
If the questions about rights holders are in the long form only, we will have a problem. We will be missing data. Is that correct?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
No.
I mean, you are partly right. It depends on methodological considerations.
That is part of Statistics Canada's methodological and scientific work. You know, that is like saying that all the data about the labour market, language of work, questions about housing conditions, education, at this point in the census, are not representative of what is happening in Canada...
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
...because the questions are in the long form only. You have to realize that a lot of very robust and long-standing aspects of methodology are designed to ensure that the results gathered are representative of Canadian society, regardless of whether the short-form or long-form census is used.
NDP
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We are working on that right now.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We are discussing it. That does not in any way impede the qualitative and quantitative testing of the census. That is something different.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
We would like to have a clear answer and the accompanying rationale. I am not saying I am completely right, I am not a statistics expert, far from it, but I have some questions.
The enumeration of rights holders is a serious problem and we know that there are problems in all provinces with a francophone minority, so I do not need to repeat all the arguments. If the information is gathered from just 25% of the population, having figures and a methodology is all well and good, but it worries me.
So I would like to know why that might be included in the long-form census only and not in the short form. I need clarification in this regard and I don't know if I am the only one among my colleagues who would like that.
Conservative
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
All I can say to reassure you is that no decisions are made lightly. The decisions made will be based on demonstrated proof that the selected option is the most viable and the most effective.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
I would like you to come back to the committee before you make the decision. I think this is important to our committee. I would like to know when you can do that, but not in 2019, of course. We need to know before the elections.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome once again to Mr. Corbeil and Ms. Badets. I will not ask you to repeat what you said, but I feel reassured today, Mr. Corbeil. Perhaps I got the wrong impression, but each time you have appeared before the committee—this is not your first time here—, I have asked you the same question, three times on one occasion.
Do you think it will be ready in time for 2021? You have never been able to confirm that. Perhaps I am dreaming. Today you are saying that there is no problem for the next census, that we will be ready as regards enumeration, of course.
