Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the mover of the motion, I will offer remarks on the need to make this call on the federal government for preservation of the full, long-form census data collection.

Accurate, reliable and detailed data is essential to this government’s ability to develop policies and programs and, very importantly, to evaluate whether our programs are having the best results. Long-form data is essential to the continuing improvement of our services. The information obtained through the long-form census is essential to the well-being of our citizens.

As the motion points out, the people who rely most on government services to overcome their many social disadvantages are exactly the people least able or likely to complete and mail a census form. The cumulative impact of low response rates from the disadvantaged would yield an indication that the conditions of disadvantage are actually improving. Clearly, this would be untrue.

We don’t fight poverty and social malaise simply by failing to collect information that reflects these conditions. We have a duty to the least advantaged to ensure their conditions are recognized in the most basic sense by the full and complete description of those conditions with statistical information. It’s hard to understand how a federal government could decide to do without this data and still progress towards a just and equitable society that meets the needs of those most in need.

It’s estimated that filling the long-form census gaps with our own Statistics Bureau could cost this

government as much as $500,000 more each year. Lack of the data would seriously damage or even eliminate our ability to compare our NWT conditions with those of the provinces.

This data is essential when we seek funds from the federal government for our programs. Also, if the full data collection is resumed after an interruption, the lack of past information would make accurate historical comparisons impossible and unreliable.

Our businesses need this data to continually sharpen their competitiveness. Students and educators seeking to learn their disciplines or apply their learning to the betterment of society will find they lack the basic tools. Our non-government organizations and volunteers who are eager to improve social conditions with their energy and enthusiasm will find they don’t have the information essential to making the best use of their limited funds and capacity.

Our poor and disadvantaged crucially need this information as the emphasis of their conditions.

There is a requirement for information for measuring progress for implementation of an Anti-Poverty Strategy, for example. The GNWT needs this data to intelligently find its way into the future. I look forward to the support of all Members in sending this clear message to the federal government and I particularly appreciate Cabinet’s support in moving this motion forward and I will be calling for a recorded vote. Mahsi.