CensusWatch: Always make sure the right hand knows what the left hand is doing ...

(And no, "But it was invisible!" is not a valid excuse.) 

A quick tip on how to prevent the appearance of ideological incoherence: When wading into a very public policy debate, it's a good idea to ensure that your subsequent actions don't inadvertently contradict your official position. 

Earlier this morning, Former Colleague Inkless Wells tweeted the following observation after reading a recent missive from the Fraser Institute:

Oh look, an actual email from @fraserinstitute. Actual quote: "According to recent census data...."

Here's the full quote, in context, as it appeared in the email in question, which turned out to be an invitation to the next installment in the Institute's series of "Behind The Spin" panel discussions:

Toronto, Canada's longtime economic engine, may be stalling. According to recent census data, management positions within the city are declining and median income lags the national average. Is Toronto losing its status as Canada's business centre?

Join us for a discussion about indicators of economic deterioration documented in the Fraser Institute study, "Is Toronto in Decline?" and to talk about future priorities to ensure a prosperous Toronto.

What makes this reference particularly exquisitely unfortunate, at least from the point of view from the Fraser Institute, is that the data in question -- median incomes, and the number of management positions available in a particular region -- could only come from the census long form. That would be the very same long form that the Institute recently declared to be "a truly intrusive instrument ... a cheap way for academics, economists, and social scientists to get information that should be acquired using market surveys of the kind that are routinely collected on a voluntary basis."

To that list of cheaploaders, the authors must, presumably, now add "fiscally conservative think tanks holding $200-per-plate private dinners."

Behind The Spin indeed.