QUESTION PERIOD — Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Statistics Canada--Census
February 14, 2024
My question is for Senator Gold.
Senator Gold, my office spoke with representatives from the City of Fredericton who expressed concern that despite Statistics Canada classifying Fredericton as a census metropolitan area, or CMA, in the 2021 census, as it has a population over 100,000, this change is not reflected in government policy. This is a similar situation for the cities of Drummondville, Red Deer, Kamloops, Chilliwack and Nanaimo. This has created a bizarre situation where Revenue Canada is giving folks who live in downtown Fredericton a rural carbon tax rebate supplement contrary to the eligibility requirements in the Income Tax Act, which incorporate by reference to the 2021 census. More importantly, Fredericton officials indicate the failure to be designated as a CMA means the city doesn’t get the same type of demographic data as places like St. John’s or Moncton when trying to address the housing crisis or public transportation policy, possibly making it more difficult — if not impossible — to access funding for important areas, such as for housing. Can the government indicate whether Statistics Canada will fix this error and inform other government departments if Fredericton is, in fact, a CMA?
Thank you, senator, for your question. I’ve been informed that the new census metropolitan areas are added after each census — censuses are conducted every five years — and the determination of census metropolitan areas is based on changing population dynamics, including, but not limited to, the population of surrounding municipalities and centres and the percentage of the population that commutes to the city centre. On the basis of all of that, departments, including, but not limited to, Finance, use the definition of CMA as a tool for their own policies, including — and you mentioned the rebates — the Climate Action Incentive Payment. That’s the information that I have at this juncture, senator.
Senator Gold, the minister responsible for Statistics Canada is the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. The issue further highlights the importance of his department having oral advisers from New Brunswick at the Centre for Rural Economic Development, so the whole of government is aware that downtown Fredericton is not, in fact, rural. Could you please immediately raise this serious issue with the minister and inform him that there’s government-wide error causing Fredericton and five other cities not to be classified as CMAs, despite Statistics Canada saying that they are?
I will certainly bring this to the attention of the minister at the earliest opportunity.
