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PrintHow significant are public opinion polls about Senate reform?
If the public has a poor understanding of the Senate and its place in our Parliamentary government, how can the results of a poll or referendum be anything more than misleading. A building erected on a foundation of sand cannot stand.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." So goes the well-known put-down of statistics that is often attributed to Mark Twain, though he attributes it to British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli. But what I want to talk about has nothing to do with the long-form census or Statistics Canada. I'm concerned about the surveys conducted periodically by various pollsters to gauge the public's opinion about various Senate reform options.
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How significant are public opinion polls about Senate reform?
If the public has a poor understanding of the Senate and its place in our Parliamentary government, how can the results of a poll or referendum be anything more than misleading. A building erected on a foundation of sand cannot stand.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." So goes the well-known put-down of statistics that is often attributed to Mark Twain, though he attributes it to British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli. But what I want to talk about has nothing to do with the long-form census or Statistics Canada. I'm concerned about the surveys conducted periodically by various pollsters to gauge the public's opinion about various Senate reform options.
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