Stats New Zealand is not on track to achieve its target of getting responses from 90 percent of the population.
Still time, but it seems unlikely to meet that target, despite protestations from the Minister of Statistics Deborah Russell that it's still early days.
The low return rate has nothing to do with the effects of Cyclone Gabriel, most of the unreturned forms are from major cities. And the failure of 2023 aligns with the failure of the 2018 Census, where response rates were even worse.
They fell to just 86 per cent, even worse for Maori and Pacifica, with 65 and 63 per cent return rates respectively.
You would have thought they would have learned lessons from the past, and they did, a bit.
There was a review into the 2018 Census and it found that there was too much focus on a digital-first approach. That focus led to too little attention to on-the-ground requirements to get the Census done. Basically, people knocking on doors and handing over papers and then going to collect them.
I absolutely guarantee you could put the lack of response down to distrust of the Government and suspicion around how the information will be used.
Dave Letele, who was employed as an ambassador for the Census 2023, said there's a massive distrust between our people and the Government and that's what we need to overcome.
He said a lot of people are wary about sharing their personal information with authorities, but it's not just something you can throw money at to fix, which is quite true.
So there's been the breakdown of trust, there's been suspicion, and I understand that, but by choosing not to participate, the Government is going to have to come up with another way of allocating resources.
How else to do it other than with the Census?
Many of the communities who need schools and hospitals and money to go into community groups and outreach services the most will miss out. Five years from now, when you hear people from communities bemoaning the lack of facilities for their neighbourhoods, I will remember to ask them, or make a note for my successor to ask them, did you fill out your Census?
If you say no, you're getting no sympathy from me.
Kerre McIvor, is a journalist, radio presenter, author and columnist. Currently hosts the Kerre Woodham mornings show on Newstalk ZB
They fell to just 86 per cent, even worse for Maori and Pacifica, with 65 and 63 per cent return rates respectively.
You would have thought they would have learned lessons from the past, and they did, a bit.
There was a review into the 2018 Census and it found that there was too much focus on a digital-first approach. That focus led to too little attention to on-the-ground requirements to get the Census done. Basically, people knocking on doors and handing over papers and then going to collect them.
I absolutely guarantee you could put the lack of response down to distrust of the Government and suspicion around how the information will be used.
Dave Letele, who was employed as an ambassador for the Census 2023, said there's a massive distrust between our people and the Government and that's what we need to overcome.
He said a lot of people are wary about sharing their personal information with authorities, but it's not just something you can throw money at to fix, which is quite true.
So there's been the breakdown of trust, there's been suspicion, and I understand that, but by choosing not to participate, the Government is going to have to come up with another way of allocating resources.
How else to do it other than with the Census?
Many of the communities who need schools and hospitals and money to go into community groups and outreach services the most will miss out. Five years from now, when you hear people from communities bemoaning the lack of facilities for their neighbourhoods, I will remember to ask them, or make a note for my successor to ask them, did you fill out your Census?
If you say no, you're getting no sympathy from me.
Kerre McIvor, is a journalist, radio presenter, author and columnist. Currently hosts the Kerre Woodham mornings show on Newstalk ZB
6 comments:
I don't have a census form in front of me but from memory some of the questions are about private issues. Who really needs to know what religion we are or what our occupation is, our age and marital status and how many dependents we have?
Most of those stats could and are being gathered elsewhere so what is so imperative about the census? Births, deaths and marriages are recorded and schools and churches have records.
We have immigration records and airline movements using passports.
Most people feel that the census is a bogey of some sort and after all the Covid lies and drama it's no wonder people don't want anything to do with it. Then they had the gender nonsense requiring us to identify as something we were born as and what we now imagine we are. People object to not being able to identify as Nzers as well so it's a silent protest. That's why they have a $2,000 penalty because they know that people sense the invasion of privacy so big brother will MAKE you do it. More people are retreating from big government.
MC
1) While everyone under 75 probably has a mobile phone and a PC - therefore having a modicum of tech knowledge - doing a census online is too much to capture the vast majority. They are dreaming.
2) Like a not insignificant proportion of the population, I (and those closest to me) were elsewhere on the night. The bottomline being we did everything by the book, but still there was a problem in collecting info from our normal residence and I know there was a lot of follow-up that was a wasted effort and still didn't collect the info it really should have.
3) Stats, IMHO, asked the wrong questions in the wrong way, but hey, what do I know. It's just that I'm now a superannuitant and likely have more lived experience from those seeking this bs.
4) And, yes, the penalties for failing to file a return should be more visible, ie. pursue those with more vigour and publicise same. We appear to turn a blind eye to indolence, and it's usually that cohort that stands to be identified and benefit most.
Responding to a census is a democratic requirement. I firmly believe all beneficiaries - including superannuitants should have their income stopped until they comply.
I think it's a moral obligation of we the people NOT to comply with a corrupt government, otherwise you just comply your way to tyranny.
Although they may be able at social media hook-ups, posting photos of genitalia etc, I wonder how many smart phone users are adept at on line forms. I loathe them. Invariably I wish to go back but often cannot. To most many of the questions seem irrelevant and trivial; imagined gender, mould etc (the latter primarily a measure of occupants, not of the house). If the census takers trivialise it, then the public respond accordingly. And with law and order now in tatters, and many with an anti colonist, anti establishment attitude, and with ease of noting details, many are far more concerned about security than ever before. For many the income guess is complex. I suspect many now guess various advantages of mis statement. Although, somewhat incredibly, with maori the anti colonist, anti authority brain washing and inherent apathy seems to have exceeded recognition of the extent of race based favouritism which comes with large recognised numbers.
And if filling in the paper form have to find a post box.
Seems like a farce. Something that used to be so basic has now turned into something so ridiculous. It feels like the questions are almost insulting. I don't remember them being so intrusive. Twice now in a row they've cocked it up.
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