Farmers still face mandatory agricultural census

[CHIMO]

Canadian farmers will still be required to fill out a questionnaire about their farming methods, even though the federal government is scrapping the mandatory long-form personal census because it says it is too intrusive.

In conjunction with the regular census, Statistics Canada also surveys farmers across the country, asking detailed questions about crops and farming techniques.

For example, farmers are asked about the area of land fertilized with manure, whether that manure was spread on the soil, injected into it, or fell randomly from a cow.

CBC News has learned that this survey of farms remains mandatory, although the national long-form household census is being replaced with a voluntary version in 2011.

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/07/15/clement-census.html
Thursday, July 15, 2010 | 7:11 PM ET

[Spazito]

1. I don't think the PMO had any idea of the backlash that is occurring...

over this libertarian decision on the long form. They thought it wouldn't cause a ripple nevermind a flood of opposition and, yet again, they were mistaken.

Now we find out there is an exception, that is not going to help their cause at all, quite the reverse as we can see in the article.

[CHIMO]

2. It Was/Is an attempt for greater control.

It comes straight from the top.
http://www.thestar.com/article/835993--siddiqui-pm-facing-revolt-over-census-change

[Spazito]

3. Yep, another case of micro-management gone amok...

A distinct pattern for harper and the PMO.