Printing firms in Timmins, Ontario, who provide leaflet and stationary printing should be interested in noting that Canada’s Conservative government in Ottawa is merely spending 50 percent of what it originally promised to motivate Canadians to fill out both the 2011 short census, as well as the voluntary survey.
While the federal government had originally committed itself to $30 million for the spending campaign to raise awareness about the census, that total is now getting slashed in half to a mere $15 million left for the awareness campaign. Back in August of 2010, Industry Minister Tony Clement had asserted to the media and MPs that there was a full $30 million set aside for a public campaign with the purpose of persuading Canadians to fill out the census and survey.
However, Stats Canada has admitted that already $5 million of the original $30 million will actually be used for both printing as well as postage costs for the survey. In addition, another $10 million will be set aside for adding two bonus questions on language into the short census. A whole page is to be added, which increases the scanning, printing and also postage costs.
With this cut, critics are coming out of the woodwork to take on the federal government. Liberal Marc Garneau charged that Canadians will be less informed about the survey, which, he said, will lower the quality of the survey results in the end.
Printing firms in Timmins, Ontario, who may supply their services to local government, should want to know what their federal government is up to with regards to public information campaigns.
