Compulsory statistics survey: Would you participate or is it an intrusion?

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#2067451 3-Aug-2018 13:28

Apparently it's compulsory in Australia too: http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/Current+Household+Surveys

And Singapore: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-by-theme/households/household-expenditure/faqs

And South Africa: http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=783

MikeAqua

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#2067454 3-Aug-2018 13:34

My approach to intrusive laws that I disagree with is that I will eventually comply, to avoid a fine.

But I make it as difficult as I can for the govt, to maximise the drain on their resources.

Sort of a civil war of attrition.

Mike

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#2067455 3-Aug-2018 13:35

MurrayM:

Apparently it's compulsory in Australia too: http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/Current+Household+Surveys

Yes, I liked this piece of information on the above web site:

Do householders have to give ABS interviewers right of entry to their home?
No. Interviewers can enter the household only by invitation from the householder; however, it would be helpful if a suitable chair and table was made available (inside or outside the house) as the interviewer will be using a notebook computer to collect the information.

frednz

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#2067462 3-Aug-2018 13:42

MikeAqua:

My approach to intrusive laws that I disagree with is that I will eventually comply, to avoid a fine.

But I make it as difficult as I can for the govt, to maximise the drain on their resources.

Sort of a civil war of attrition.

But before they can fine you, presumably they have to serve papers on you giving you notice of the court hearing etc. So if you make it "as difficult as you can" for the govt, you can usually avoid being "served" for a long time, to the point where they eventually may give up!

networkn

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#2067463 3-Aug-2018 13:47

I am honestly pretty surprised and disappointed at the suggestions people should waste government officials time. They are paid by you, and me, wasting their time is the same as burning your own money for no benefit. Worse than no benefit.

It's compulsory. You are required by law to do it. You don't have to like it, but either do it, or leave and move to a country where they don't intrude on your privacy like this. I have heard Zimbabwee is nice this time of year?

MikeAqua

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#2067478 3-Aug-2018 14:36

networkn:

It's compulsory. You are required by law to do it. You don't have to like it, but either do it, or leave and move to a country where they don't intrude on your privacy like this. I have heard Zimbabwee is nice this time of year?

I don't follow the suggestion to move to another country. I was born here. I have no right of abode in any other country. My NZ citizenship is in-alienable.

Beside its StatsNZ that choose to give up, rather than wait for a day that I have nothing better to do.

Two hours answering inane questions or two hours doing something you enjoy - what would you choose?

Mike

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#2067491 3-Aug-2018 14:58

Those that dick around with this sort of thing will be the ones that will cry when the health services, education services, Social services are in the wrong area.

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MikeAqua

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#2067493 3-Aug-2018 15:02

MikeB4:

Those that dick around with this sort of thing will be the ones that will cry when the health services, education services, Social services are in the wrong area.

They will always be wrong, because population shifts faster than government can respond.

Mike

frednz

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#2067554 3-Aug-2018 16:02

networkn:

I am honestly pretty surprised and disappointed at the suggestions people should waste government officials time. They are paid by you, and me, wasting their time is the same as burning your own money for no benefit. Worse than no benefit.

It's compulsory. You are required by law to do it. You don't have to like it, but either do it, or leave and move to a country where they don't intrude on your privacy like this. I have heard Zimbabwee is nice this time of year?

I think people who are complaining about this survey are simply protesting at spending 3-4 hours on a survey that's not supposed to take more than 45 minutes or so. I think the requirement to provide receipts for payments is going over the top and has angered many participants. Take, for example, this comment published at the foot of the Stuff article:

"We had to do this a couple of years ago - we were told it'd take 45 minutes to an hour. At 10:45pm we told the surveyor to leave, after 90 minutes of answering questions. I had to then find receipts on how much we'd spent on car maintenance over the previous year (and insurance payments and power receipts - it took me an hour or so to find all the info they wanted), before she returned. Second visit, we finished after 2 hours. At the end of that session, she asked if my partner travelled for work - I said "if he says yes, are there more questions to answer?" She said there'd be an entire section of needing costs for every single time he travelled for work. After a stern look from me, he said he didn't travel for work.

The survey is ridiculously long and invasive."

If enough people complain, perhaps Stats NZ will revise the survey so that it's more reasonable. I'm not sure that shifting to Zimbabwee is really the answer because it isn't getting the message across to Stats NZ that they need to listen to people who find the survey ridiculously long and invasive!

TheMantis

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#2067588 3-Aug-2018 16:22

There is no way I'd participate in this, or any other, survey. If the organisation involved insists then I'd tell them to pound sand and I'll have my day in court thank you very much. Just leave me alone to live my life and stop interfering in things that don't concern you.

gregmcc

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#2067600 3-Aug-2018 16:38

frednz:

networkn:

I am honestly pretty surprised and disappointed at the suggestions people should waste government officials time. They are paid by you, and me, wasting their time is the same as burning your own money for no benefit. Worse than no benefit.

It's compulsory. You are required by law to do it. You don't have to like it, but either do it, or leave and move to a country where they don't intrude on your privacy like this. I have heard Zimbabwee is nice this time of year?

I think people who are complaining about this survey are simply protesting at spending 3-4 hours on a survey that's not supposed to take more than 45 minutes or so. I think the requirement to provide receipts for payments is going over the top and has angered many participants. Take, for example, this comment published at the foot of the Stuff article:

"We had to do this a couple of years ago - we were told it'd take 45 minutes to an hour. At 10:45pm we told the surveyor to leave, after 90 minutes of answering questions. I had to then find receipts on how much we'd spent on car maintenance over the previous year (and insurance payments and power receipts - it took me an hour or so to find all the info they wanted), before she returned. Second visit, we finished after 2 hours. At the end of that session, she asked if my partner travelled for work - I said "if he says yes, are there more questions to answer?" She said there'd be an entire section of needing costs for every single time he travelled for work. After a stern look from me, he said he didn't travel for work.

The survey is ridiculously long and invasive."

If enough people complain, perhaps Stats NZ will revise the survey so that it's more reasonable. I'm not sure that shifting to Zimbabwee is really the answer because it isn't getting the message across to Stats NZ that they need to listen to people who find the survey ridiculously long and invasive!

Stats could always start paying people for their time....it is a user pays society....

If Stats want it for free they are dreaming

MikeB4

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#2067606 3-Aug-2018 16:45

TheMantis:
There is no way I'd participate in this, or any other, survey. If the organisation involved insists then I'd tell them to pound sand and I'll have my day in court thank you very much. Just leave me alone to live my life and stop interfering in things that don't concern you.

Yet you will be happy to use the services provided you

TheMantis

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#2067608 3-Aug-2018 16:56

MikeB4:
TheMantis:

There is no way I'd participate in this, or any other, survey. If the organisation involved insists then I'd tell them to pound sand and I'll have my day in court thank you very much. Just leave me alone to live my life and stop interfering in things that don't concern you.

Yet you will be happy to use the services provided you

I've done my time (almost two decades) in service to the Crown and Queen. If anybody owes someone it's them me.

mattwnz

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#2067612 3-Aug-2018 17:08

My main concern is how secure is the information, especially as it appears to be linked to people. As so many companies and organisations are getting hacked these days, that sort of information in the wrong hands could be a major concern. Not unless they don't link the name to the information.

Lostja

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#2067613 3-Aug-2018 17:09

MurrayM:

Apparently it's compulsory in Australia too: http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/Current+Household+Surveys

And Singapore: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-by-theme/households/household-expenditure/faqs

And South Africa: http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=783

it is compulsory in a fair few countries and if it is not, they probably just link all the data the government has on you. In the Netherlands they do a virtual Census by taking a snapshot at a certain time across multiple data sources.

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