Rathika Sitsabaiesan: NDP MP Way Off On Canada's Population (VIDEO) | HuffPost

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WATCH: NDP MP Thinks Canada's Population Is 9 Million People

The Huffington Post Canada

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The release of the 2011 census on Wednesday revealed that Canada's population has grown to just shy of 33.5 million people, news that may surprise NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan.

Speaking on human rights abuses in Sri Lanka at the Canadian Human Rights Voice (CHRV) conference last week, the MP for Scarborough-Rouge River declared that Canada is 9 million strong "standing together to fight for human rights."

In the full version of the video, a member of the audience quickly corrects Sitsabaiesan and she reacts by saying she was thinking of "the people that came out and voted in the past election." Canadians cast approximately 14.8 million ballots during the 2011 federal vote. You can see the exchange in the video below starting at 3:30.

Sitsabaiesan made headlines last year when her cleavage was photoshopped out of her parliamentary profile. To this day, the profile still features the photoshopped image.

We hope Sitsabaiesan's mistake was just the result of nerves, rather than a lack of knowledge about her country. The Globe and Mail has described her as "the most compelling of the new crop of young NDP MPs," and we hope her potential shines through in the coming months.

In the meantime, she may want to spend some time studying those new census figures.

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National Household Survey Highlights

Highlights Of The 2011 National Household Survey(01 of13)

Here are some highlights from the 2011 National Household Survey.With files from The Canadian Press. (AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP/Getty Images)

33,476,688 People(02 of13)

As of May 2011, 33,476,688 people were enumerated in Canada, nearly twice as many as in 1961 and 10 times the number in 1861. (Alamy) (credit:Alamy)

Population Growth Speeds Up(03 of13)

Canada's population grew by 5.9 per cent between 2006 and 2011, up slightly from 5.4 per cent during the previous five years. (Flickr: jtbradford) (credit:Flickr:jtbradford)

Go West(04 of13)

For the first time, more people in Canada live west of Ontario (30.7 per cent) than in Quebec and Atlantic Canada combined (30.6 per cent). (Flickr: derekGavey) (credit:Flickr:derekGavey)

We're Number One(05 of13)

Canada's population growth between 2006 and 2011 was the highest among G8 countries. (Flickr: WarmSleepy) (credit:Flickr:WarmSleepy)

Exceptions To The Rule(06 of13)

Every province and most territories saw their population increase between 2006 and 2011; the rate of growth increased everywhere except in Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. (AP) (credit:AP)

Ontario Falters(07 of13)

The growth rate in Ontario declined to 5.7 per cent, its lowest level since the early 1980s. (Alamy) (credit:Alamy)

Saskatchewan Out Of The Red(08 of13)

Population growth in Saskatchewan hit 6.7 per cent, compared with a negative growth rate of 1.1 per cent between 2001 and 2006; the province welcomed more than 28,000 immigrants during the latest census period, nearly three times the number of the previous five-year period. (Flickr: Just a Prairie Boy) (credit:Flickr:Just a Prairie Boy)

Yukon And Manitoba Take Off(09 of13)

The rate of growth in both Yukon (11.6 per cent) and Manitoba (5.2 per cent) has doubled since 2006. (Flickr: US Mission Canada) (credit:Flickr:US Mission Canada)

The East Is Growing Too(10 of13)

The rate of growth in Prince Edward Island (3.2 per cent), New Brunswick (2.9 per cent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (1.8 per cent) has increased substantially between 2006 and 2011. (Flickr JaimeW) (credit:Flickr:JaimeW)

Cities Rule..(11 of13)

Nearly seven of every 10 Canadians lived in one of Canada's 33 main urban centres in 2011. (Flickr mark.woodbury) (credit:Flickr:mark.woodbury)

.. Except Not In Ontario..(12 of13)

The rate of population growth in almost all census metropolitan areas located in Ontario slowed between 2006 and 2011. (Flickr abdallahh) (credit:Flickr:abdallahh)

Maybe Because Everyone Moved To Alberta(13 of13)

Of the 15 Canadian communities with the highest rates of growth, 10 were located in Alberta. (AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP/Getty Images)

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