The leading religion question being used for this year’s Census is locked in, and there’s nothing that we can do to change that now.
But we can send a strong message to the Australian Bureau of Statistics that, for future Censuses, Australians want it to use a fair question that delivers accurate data.
We’ve launched a petition on the Change.org website, asking the head of the ABS, David Gruen, to fix the religion question for future Censuses.
Please take a moment to add your name to the petition and to share it with your friends.
Click the image below to view the petition on Change.org.
As revealed in the survey that we commissioned, the leading question used in the Census produces data that undercount the non-religious population by 10.4 per cent.
In the petition, our spokesperson Michael Dove argues that all kinds of data users, not just religious organisations, need Census data.
”Having current and accurate Census data about religious affiliation is important for all Australians,” he says.
As we count down to Census day on 11 August, we’ll be stepping up our advertising campaign on social media, aiming to reach millions of people with our messages.
If you’d like to help amplify these messages, take the opportunity to have your contribution matched when you make a donation via our website.
Until 11.59 pm on Monday 3 August, the Rationalist Society of Australia will match every dollar contributed (up to a total of $5,000).
Make a contribution — and have it matched!
Once again, we’re grateful for the support of the Rationalist Society of Australia, Humanists Australia, National Secular Lobby, Humanists Victoria, the Secular Association of NSW, Australian Skeptics (Victoria Branch), and Recovering from Religion Australia.
We encourage you to visit their websites and support their work. Find out more about these groups here.