RSSeNEWS to be determined...

Canada's recently resigned chief statistician Munir Sheikh is to join the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario as a distinguished fellow and adjunct professor.

The University has not made a formal announcement of the appointment, which was reported by the Montreal Gazette.

Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail has published a comment piece by Sheikh which suggests a possible way forward on the Conservative government's census changes. The proposal would give more time to reach consensus over the collection of long form data, which has generated bitter discord.

Rather than going ahead with the new voluntary survey in 2011, Sheikh proposes that Statistics Canada distribute the long form census as previously – but with guidance on whether completion is mandatory or voluntary.

But PM Stephen Harper has restated his objection to mandatory long form data gathering. With the new census forms already sent to be printed, the government looks determined to carry the changes through.