[LINK] Personal comments on the eCensus form

[Greg Taylor]

On Sat, 5 Aug 2006 14:45:52 +1000, Craig Sanders wrote:
> so far, i'll give them 0/10.
>
> in previous years, they gave months of advance notice that a census
> was due. they'd send people around weeks or months in advance to
> verify the number of people in a house, drop off forms, and pick
> them up afterwards.

What planet have you been living on?  The census has had news coverage since early this year.  

> this time, i had no idea that there was a census about to happen
> until i saw this thread a few days ago...and i didn't even have
> time to read it until today. now it looks like there is not only a
> census imminent, but that it's today/tonight. and i still haven't
> even had the census forms delivered.

It's not today/tonight.  Census night is Tuesday night, 8th August.
  http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/Home/census

My form came today.  They can be delivered up to 7th August.

> it's all well and good to use new technology for the census -
> probably save them a huge bundle of money in the long run....but
> they shouldn't do it at the expense of old, paper-based system.
> maybe in 50 years time they can get rid of paper entirely, but
> certainly not now.

They're not doing it at the expense of the paper-based system.  The eCensus is merely an optional alternative.  

> since it's a crime to fail to fill in the census form, i wonder if
> "nobody informed me" or "i never received the form" will be
> considered a reasonable defense.

Ignorance is not a crime, nor is failing to receive a form.  It only becomes a legal issue for the obstinately and deliberately perverse:
"If you do not answer the questions, the Australian Statistician has the power to direct you to provide the information. If he does this, you have a legal obligation to comply."


Greg