Thursday, August 05, 2010

Tony Clement Got New (Ridiculous) Talking Points

Well, here is latest, ridiculous, excuse from the Government, specifically, Tony Clement on the idiotic change to collecting data in this country...yes of course I mean the mandatory long form census.

“Yeah, there are groups that are upset about that. Hey, listen, they had a good deal going,” Mr. Clement told reporters after the Conservative caucus meeting Thursday in Ottawa.

“They got good, quality data and the government of Canada was the heavy. We were the ones who were coercing Canadians on behalf of these private businesses, or other social institutions, or other governments and provinces, for this data.”

Is it me, or did you just hear Tony admit that the data was good, reliable and that by making it voluntary will compromise that? Oh and, hey, the government isn't responsible for providing the country with this data.

Wait, it gets better.

Mr. Clement said opponents are free to spend their own money to gather the demographic data they need in others ways.

Translation? Hey...you want information? Free market have at it! Forget altogether that government is the most secure, most efficient way to gather that information...go for it! Decades of data? Pshaw..means nothing. This government is out of, well, just about everything. Defense, Crime...oh, we're there. All else? Get off your duff and fend for yourself!

It's not that he doesn't understand what the Census gathers and it's importance to the country, it's that he does, that is so galling. Willfully admitting and denying it, in one breath. I can hardly breathe reading it.

Think people. This has been the agenda that media mocked and insisted on calling 'hidden', but it never was. The media's role however is for another post. Harper set out to do this and is doing it with the following of a small number of sycophants. What a way to run a country!

More Clement:

“All these provincial governments and these social institutions and private businesses – we'll get them some data that will be useful and reliable,” he said.

“If they don't want to use that data, it's up to them. They can pay for it another way. There are lots of other ways to gather data from Canadians that is legal and verifiable. You don't have to rely on the government of Canada.”

Note the 'lump in' there. Provinces and those...social institutions? Ahem! Tony obviously has a short memory. And...we'll get them data? Flawed, unreliable data that we are going to spend more money gathering, type of data? You betcha!

That our government has really become this bereft of intelligence should be a surprise to no one.

2 comments:

Skinny Dipper said...

One must remember that the Conservatives are playing to their audience: those who have around a high school education. This is not meant to be offensive as I know many intelligent people with a high school diploma who work well. However, I do think that many of those same people take simple views about life whereas people with higher levels of education may dwell into the complexities of life. The Conservatives play into the pool of high school educated Canadians because they are the largest group of potential voters. They also play into the pool of Canadians who live outside of the complex urban areas like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. To a rural Conservative supporter, a visible minority may be a Polish Canadian.

It might be easy for a university educated person like me to complete a long census form; a high school educated person may become frustrated at some of the questions. The Conservatives tailor their simple messages about intruding long census forms to their supporters.

Karen said...

While I'm sure it won't be long before someone calls you an elitist, you are absolutely correct and the polls confirm it.

Furthermore, I would submit that part of the objective of this government is to further 'dumb down' the nation, through moves like this.