Censured census
I have no interest at all in knowing the number of bedrooms contained in the average Canadian home. I am, however, keenly interested in knowing the number of vertebrae in Industry Minister Tony Clement's spine (Statscan Chief Falls On Sword Over Census - July 22).
Gordon E. Whitehead, Vancouver
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I assume that when this government eventually abolishes Statistics Canada on the grounds of irrelevance, we will be forced to modify a well-known saying to "there are lies, damned lies and politics."
A.S. Brown, Kingston, Ont.
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The former chief statistician, Munir Sheikh, is to be congratulated for living by the first rule of principled public service: Know the mountain you'll die on.
Peter Bracegirdle, Ottawa
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What a foolish move. Munir Sheikh is out of a job, has increased the Prime Minister's resolve on the long form census and ended any chance for compromise.
John R. McClement, Regina
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I have known Munir Sheikh for more than two decades. He is a brilliant economist, creative policy-maker, effective civil servant, and above all an upright and honourable man. He does not shrink from speaking truth to power. The Harper government has made a mistake. It should do the honourable thing: Admit it and restore the independence of Statistics Canada.
Nasir Islam, adjunct professor, Telfer School of Management, Ottawa
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The decision by chief statistician Munir Sheikh to resign on a matter of principle is no doubt brave, but the manner and public nature of his departure is not consistent with the traditions of the senior civil service in a parliamentary system. Long-established protocols in that tradition carefully preserve the separation of powers and responsibilities between cabinet and public servants. Cabinet quite clearly takes the heat and the glory for policy; if the system is working well, the civil service maintains a political neutrality and is able to provide ministers advice and counsel without fear of retribution. The reliability of the system fails and moves toward government by technocracy when the exchanges and differences of opinion between the executive and the administrative branches breaks out into public dispute of a political nature.
It is regrettable that the chief statistician either could not, or did not choose to make his exit more discreetly after government and Parliament had resolved the census issue. It is equally regrettable that the government seems to have an authoritarian view of public policy and its administration. Both actions have moved Canada yet another step closer to the Americanization of the national government and its public service.
David Redgrave, Toronto
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Diogenes found his man in Munir Sheikh. Bravo.
Bob Kotyk, Toronto
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Stephen Harper and Tony Clement should be ashamed of leading the charge to destroy the most important information resource in the country. Who would have thought that any government's goal would be to dumb down a first class service used not only by industry, governments and organizations but many individual Canadians to make sure we can all thrive in a global knowledge economy.
Betty Augaitis, Toronto
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I have just graduated from high school. In my final year, I took an introductory statistics course. We learned that one of the most basic statistical mistakes was called "response bias," in which the responders are not a representative sample of the population. The most common form of this error is making a survey voluntary, because only certain types of people will tend to respond, and others will be underrepresented. If Mr. Clement had been in my class, he would surely have received poor grades for not acknowledging this fundamental problem with voluntary surveys.
Bob Z. Sun, Ottawa
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For those getting hot under the collar over the long census, I would suggest reading The Economist and taking a Valium. Leviathan's Spyglass (July 15) points out that the traditional compulsory long census "is dying, and a good thing too." Computerized databases now allow statisticians access to information far more efficiently and completely than the steamboat-era long census. Our chief statistician's contrary opinion seems out of line with many other countries; Britain may abandon the traditional census after next year, the Scandinavians gave it up ages ago. America is holding out, at a cost of more than $11-billion this year, because its Constitution requires it. (Good luck with their deficit!)
And another thing: Until now I had not realized the perils of refusing to tell the government how many bedrooms I have, or that I am an English-speaking Caucasian male, or for misinforming them that I am a Jedi Knight - whatever that is.
James Housley, Fonthill, Ont.
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How fortunate we are to have a professional, ethically minded civil service. Two cases this week confirm such a view - Munir Sheikh, and Doug Tipple, formerly of Public Works Canada (Ex-Public Servant Wins $1.4-Million In Dismissal Case - July 21). The Globe and Mail's motto seems to capture the vital essence of it: "The subject who is truly loyal to the Chief Magistrate will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures."
Jeffrey J. Smith, Ottawa
Backing Black
Conrad Black is a complicated man. The acts that landed him in prison - including the monumental stupidity and ego when, against a court order, he took out papers from his office under the watchful eye of a security camera - do not compare in importance in measuring the man with his life as it played out in jail. His courage in fighting on, as he really does not believe he committed a crime, his teaching of other inmates, his articles and his general attitude to prison life show a great person able to adjust to all circumstances. We have not heard the last of this great Canadian, citizen or not.
Murray Rubin, Toronto
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Your report on Conrad Black's life in prison quotes Mr. Black as writing, "I am enjoying … practicing (sic) the piano" (Fellow Cons Called Their Tutor 'Lordy' - July 22). "Sic" is one of those overused devices for drawing a reader's attention to the fact that some poor sod being quoted made a mistake and that the error is his rather than that of the writer quoting him.
Kindly take your staff aside and explain that not only is "practice" an acceptable spelling variant of the verb form, but also Mr. Black was quite correct to prefer the American spelling as he was writing from the U.S. Mr. Black's renowned wordiness may irritate some people, but that's no excuse for pedantic low blows that miss the mark.
David Greer, Victoria
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Conrad Black is leaving jail. Lindsay Lohan's going in (A Portrait Of The Artist As A Mean Girl - July 21). The balance of the universe is maintained.
David Ingard, Kitchener, Ont.
Only the PMO's say-so
The Globe's editorialists continue to support the Prime Minister's decision to report Helena Guergis to the RCMP: "Even in light of the RCMP letter informing Ms. Guergis she has been cleared of all allegations of criminal wrongdoing, the Prime Minister acted appropriately in reporting possible wrongdoing to the authorities" (No Longer To Be Shunned - July 22). Yet, we only have the PMO's assertion that there were "credible and serious allegations" against Ms. Guergis. There has been no corroboration of those allegations whatsoever.
Joseph Frankovic, Toronto
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The rights and privileges of a member of Parliament have been egregiously infringed in this matter, and at least one parliamentary committee should be calling upon the Prime Minister to appear before it and furnish his version of events.
Louis Desjardins, Belleville, Ont.
Exits trump IVF entries
Last week, it was announced that Quebec has decided to fund three cycles of IVF for infertile women. Many are now saying that such funding should be available across Canada. IVF is still only about 30 per cent successful per cycle, so provinces may be wary of funding a procedure that has that level of results.
At the same time, we have learned that Canada ranks ninth in the world in its provision of palliative care (There Are A Lot Better Places To Die Than Canada - July 22). This is shockingly low, and it is clear that more of our health care dollars are needed to provide quality care at the end of life. This would be beneficial for the whole population at that stage, and, as a universal need, should take priority.
Moira McQueen, Burlington, Ont.
Biking into the hereafter
I fear you have committed a grave error in your article on London's bicycle rental programs (London's Cycling Movement Powered By Canadian Know-How - July 22). The term the British use to pass when driving or riding is overtake, not "undertake." Oh the visions of caskets being pulled along London streets by a funeral director in his black suit and top hat on a two-wheeler …
Robert Vineberg, Winnipeg