The Australian Census is upon us once again, and once more
it's got my dander up. Every time this event rolls around,
the Bureau of Statistics make a big song and dance about
how all information collected is kept private and
confidential, and no Census data or results may include
identifying information. This is all well and good. It
gives me warm fuzzy feelings of security. But those warm
fuzzies don't last too long. Why? The first question on
the Census form, that's why.
Despite the government's protestations of privacy and
confidentiality, the very first question asked calls for
identifying information. Now, why is that question
necessary, if the information may not be used in census
results? The official answer is twofold. First, so that
Census collectors may address me properly when speaking
with me, and second so that information on family
membership may be gathered. I call bullshit on both
reasons.
I have seen several Australian Censuses in my adult life,
and not once has a Census collector ever had the need to
address me. Yes, the collectors have spoken to me and I to
them. But just like any stranger who comes knocking on my
door, I did not give them my name and I did not care to
know theirs. Census collectors have no need to identify
me. If they want to talk to me, they do not need my name.
There are well-established social conventions for
addressing a person whose name is not known. Surely it's
not too much to ask that collectors follow them?
So let's take a look at the second part of the
justification for asking for names and addresses. They
want to guess at family membership based on family names.
This is utterly ridiculous. The Bureau has the opportunity
to ask specific questions on the census and yet they claim
that names will help them determine family membership. It
would make far more sense to include a question that
specifically asks for the relationship to other Census
respondents.
There is nothing meaningful about family membership that
can reasonably be drawn from the fact that two people do or
do not share a family name. I have the same family name as
thousands of people to whom I claim no relationship. I
have a son and daughter, both of whom have different family
names, neither of which is the same as my own. And until
quite recently, my sister did not have the same family name
as me.
Having established that neither stated reason holds up to
even the most perfunctory scrutiny, it's quite reasonable
to assume that there must be at least one other reason that
the Bureau of Statistics wants my name. If that is indeed
the case, keeping it secret is doing nothing to engender my
trust. Therefore, it is once again time for my little
pentannual episode of civil disobedience.
In previous censuses, I defaced the Census form and did not
answer any questions at all. I see that behaviour as
rather childish and petulant, and I like to think that I'm
somewhat more grown-up now. This time, I will fill in the
Census form, answering all questions except the one(s)
requiring my name and address, and place my form in the
supplied privacy envelope with a copy of this document.
