Evidence of meeting #106 for Status of Women in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was data.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
No, and I don't think the data would support that granularity of analysis just because of the way we have the geography on the dataset.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
If you have the geography on the dataset, wouldn't you be able to cross-reference with whoever the representative was at the time the data was collected?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We'd have to verify to see if we could do that.
Liberal
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Yes.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Are there factors that you guys have analyzed to determine whether there's a high correlation between a desire to run for office with other socio-economic factors or levels of political engagement?
Survey Manager, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
No, we have not done that.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Is it possible to do that with the data that's already available?
Survey Manager, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
I don't think so.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
I think the numbers will be too small.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Yes. In terms of your question, you're looking at the correlation of people who are running for political office—
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
No, it's the people who express a desire to run, or potentially the people who express that they're very interested in politics. Maybe that's an easier way to do it.
What I'm trying to get at is to realize what factors are most strongly correlated to a woman who says, “Hey, look at me. I'm very, very interested in politics.” From my perspective, that is somebody we should be reaching out to, trying to inspire them to see themselves in office as well. Are there factors you have identified that would help us identify who these people are?
Chief, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We could undertake that study, I believe, but we have not undertaken it yet. It would be a modelling exercise based on interest in politics: we don't have the desire to run for office, just an interest in politics.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
What would the resources be like to do it, to undertake a study like that?
Chief, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We'd have to consult with another division at Statistics Canada to answer that.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
With regard to the issue of resources again, to me it seems like these five-, six-, seven-year cycles for the different chapters of the general social survey are not frequent enough to get the real value that I think it can produce. Is it within reason for this committee to make a recommendation that we start doing this in two- and three-year cycles? Is that something which the capacity could exist for? Is it just a matter of funding, or are there other things that are getting in the way?
Chief, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We appreciate any support we can get, so yes, but I will highlight, too, that it depends on the particular topic. The general social survey, as Pamela mentioned, has several different issues. We can shed a ton of light on our victimization survey on victimization rates in Canada. We have very good giving and volunteering statistics. It's more the specific political area that we don't generally collect a lot of data on, particularly because the number of people running for office and things is fairly small compared to the whole general population.
Providing support to ask questions like that may still be difficult, but as Pamela mentioned, we're modernizing. We could look at different administrative data sources rather than surveys. However, yes, in general, if there's something we collect but we can't release because of small sample sizes, like the aboriginal or minority data, we would love more support towards funding for that, if I'm allowed to say that.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Sure, you're allowed. You've said it now.
I'm curious. Is there data that you have identified that would potentially be useful, but that you haven't been able to collect because it's perhaps too far down the priority list and you don't want to dilute the...? You have actually done it; I see you nodding.
Chief, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Yes, there are times when we have been asked to collect data on things that we could collect data on, but in terms of all the government and private sector priorities, they sometimes don't end up on the questionnaire.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
After this meeting, could you send us a list of those areas that you'd like to collect that data on, but haven't been able to?
Chief, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Potentially. It varies a lot by survey and over time. We could look into it. I'll see what we can do.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
I only have one minute left.
You mentioned that it's difficult to target studies because of the population size. Would it be possible for you to actually do a targeted study and identify women who have held different public offices?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
That would be a different way for Statistics Canada to do business.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Okay. That's fine.
I have a final question.
In the box on the document you circulated, you indicated that women are as likely as men to vote in federal elections, but when they don't, they're nearly twice as likely to say that it's because they were uninformed. I think that's probably a lack of willingness by men to admit that they're uninformed.