Count this

Last night was Census night - where each person in every household in the country must be 'counted'. Considering how involved it was, I can't resist the impetus to blog on it.

The ABS's census form appears basic, but is surprisingly difficult in parts. And highly intrusive - a fact I had forgotten after the last one. As someone who relies on stats for work and my writing, it's very instructive to feel what it's like to fill one out. At least we didn't have to travel vast distances to be counted!

In a twist only Kafka may have imagined, the Senate was deciding that same day whether to snatch land rights from NT's Aboriginal people - on Census day. It's only 39 years since this nation voted to include Aboriginal people in the Census in that famous 1967 Referendum that was a turning point in Aboriginal rights.

Huh. A case of 'We'll count you, but keep taking your land.' Hideous.