Census: Are you 100% honest?

[Tikira]

We are involved in family history and know how important the census is for us to find out about our ancestors from over 100 years ago. I am ticking the box to keep the information (question 60) so that future generations (over 100 years from now) can find out about me and how I lived and what I thought. Apart from that the information is very useful in the planning for future of our country.

Wayne

[Ms Monny]

yep, I fill it out with gusto....I love to fill out forms!! Hey, that should be one of my secrets from the other thread!

Anyway, I tell the truth and I also don't park illegally or throw rubbish from the car!!

[Speedway]

I just fill it out and send it off. Thats it.
Keith.

[ving]

I bet i know which one scotty didnt pick

[Bax]

Filled it out the other day, it only takes 20-30 minutes.

I tell the truth, although it is slightly off, I usually ride my bike to work, but it's been too cold, thus we've both been taking separate cars to work.

[Scotty72]

Filled it out the other day, it only takes 20-30 minutes.

I tell the truth, although it is slightly off, I usually ride my bike to work, but it's been too cold, thus we've both been taking separate cars to work.

See, this is partly what I'm talking about: while some like to be belligerent and paint my question as a reaction to a conspiracy about wearing tin helmets so aliens don't read your thoughts, these little white lies people tell in order to tell the story as they would actually like it - not as it actually is.

Your bike one is a great eg.

Because the census is always in the depths of winter, many people who might ride their bike to work on a normal day, may not if it is a very cold / rainy day. They then may decide to lie because they think it is not reflecting what they think it is normal.

Or, you might do a few hours cash in hand work but, choose to not share that with the census people in case the ATO do read the census.

Thank you for a sensible answer - now, if only the others could see past their tin-foil helmets.

[FallingHorse]

Can I have my tin-foil helmet in a colour of my own choice, silver is so yesterday

[kujayee]

The Government already knows more than enough, so no worries.

[Scotty72]

The Government already knows more than enough, so no worries.

Again, NOT the point of the question.

Do you tell 'white' lies in order to massage the truth?

[CAP]

It would be nice if the first question reads....... "has there been any significant change in your household or lifestyle since the last Census?"..... answer NO..... simple.
Names and date etc, then send off.

We are going to do the right thing tonight, but just out of interest, would one be chained, stoned and whipped if they were not to complete and return the census?

[kiwi]

Done, takes a bit longer to fill in for 6 people than 1 !!!

[CAP]

Done, takes a bit longer to fill in for 6 people than 1 !!!

How come you can fill it out online at anytime but the old fashioned manual way is tonight?????
It actually thought the Census is supposed to be a "SNAPSHOT"

[I @ M]

How come you can fill it out online at anytime but the old fashioned manual way is tonight?????
It actually thought the Census is supposed to be a "SNAPSHOT"

Maybe the govt has finally caught up with the tech that good camera manufacturers have had for a while now, time delay shutter release for the snapshot.

[Xenedis]

As intensely privacy-conscious as I am, I don't have an inherent issue with the census -- even the question about religion.

The information it collects is otherwise in the possession of various government departments in some form or another anyway.

I don't lie on my tax return and I don't lie on the census.

So, in answer to your initial questions, I consider it legitimate, but I don't find it too intrusive or political.

As to whether it's accurate, that relies not only on the data processing capabilities of the department which manages it, but the honesty of the people completing the form.

What's mildly annoying is that, in my case, questions 45 (How did the person get to work on Tuesday, 9 August 2011?) and 54 (re how many registered motor vehicles owned by residents were parked here on 09/08/2011) are going to be skewed.

My car is currently in for a service and hence isn't garaged here today. Normally it is, and if it were here right now, I'd be able to indicate so on the form.

I also didn't go to work today; I worked overnight, but arrived there late last night and departed in the early hours of this morning. The form doesn't want to know about my journey home, so while I was actually at work on the date of 09/08/2011, from the perspective of the census form, I wasn't there, as I didn't arrive there on today's date.

[ameerat42]

Now I don't usually SQUARE!!! on forums, but having got to the last page of the on-line census form I clicked on a link for "more information". Result was: I did not get the information I was after AND I lost the [insert favourite expletetive here] almost completed form without having pressed the "SUBMIT" button. So I got on the phone to them, and now I have been listening to, "Thank you for your patience. The next available agent will be with you shortly." for the last 15 minutes.

Now I'm not a complete dill with the InterNOT, but the.... OH STOP IT! They finally answered, so I gave them my beef and got a new number.

LESSON LEARNT: A faulty form. You can't navigate to a "more info" page and keep your completed info.

AAAHHHH!!!!m

[virgal_tracy]

There were enough 'silly buggers' to have Jedi recognised as a religion in a past census.

They have never allowed Jedi to be recognised as an official religion but they will allow druidism. Radio National had a discussion on this Monday because they won't allow Jedi to be recognised but they will allow Scientology and the dicsussion was about what is the difference, especially as Jedi and druidism are essentially the same thing whereas Scientology is the creation of a scifi writer.

[Scotty72]

They have never allowed Jedi to be recognised as an official religion but they will allow druidism. Radio National had a discussion on this Monday because they won't allow Jedi to be recognised but they will allow Scientology and the dicsussion was about what is the difference, especially as Jedi and druidism are essentially the same thing whereas Scientology is the creation of a scifi writer.

Ok, wires crossed. Maybe it was that enough answered Jedi that it should have been recognised. Surely being a Jedi is more sensible than that other 'way out there' relgion.

[JM Tran]

Ok, wires crossed. Maybe it was that enough answered Jedi that it should have been recognised. Surely being a Jedi is more sensible than that other 'way out there' relgion.

at least being a Jedi doesnt mean you have to 'donate' extortionate amounts of money in order to gain acceptance and move up the wellbeing ladder ie. Scientology!

[jasevk]

I was rather disgusted to get email after email from family and friends urging me to indicate my religion to prevent a mosque being built in my suburb, or to prevent Christmas being banned.

When I read all these ridiculous emails with extremely racist undertones, I realized I could no longer call Australia a proudly multicultural nation.

[enduro]

People worried about what the "government knows" about them should be more worried about what private commercial enterprises know. Statistical data derived from the census is clean of identity and for free, you can get a lot of information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. If you like, you can pay for more information searches.

Information you submit intentionally or accidentally to commercial agencies is bought, sold traded, stolen and actively used for a variety of purposes including reforming your purchasing habits.