Survey results not comparable to census data: Statistics Canada chief

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada’s acting chief statistician says the results of the voluntary survey set to replace the long-form census will "never be comparable" to census data, but insists there is no morale problem among his staff.

Wayne Smith was appointed interim chief statistician in late July after Munir Sheikh resigned in protest over the government’s changes to the census, and Smith has not granted any interviews or spoken publicly since he took over.

In an interview with the internal newsletter StatCan, obtained by Postmedia News, he says the agency’s arm’s-length relationship with government is "convention rather than a legal fact," but maintains their independence and credibility has not been harmed by the census furor.

At the same time, Smith acknowledges the voluntary survey won’t produce the same results as the census, which has been one of the major concerns of the wide range of researchers, community and religious groups, agencies and municipalities who have opposed the change.

"Survey results will, of course, never be comparable to census data," he said. "Nonetheless, the National Household Survey will produce usable and useful data that can meet the needs of many users."

On June 26, the government announced it was scrapping Canada’s mandatory long-form census, which collects data on ethnicity, language, income, housing and disability, and replacing it with a voluntary survey in 2011.

Criticism of the move has been vociferous and widespread, with opponents maintaining a voluntary survey will produce a skewed and potentially unusable national demographic portrait. The government says it made the change to strike a balance between the need for information and citizens’ desire for privacy.

The debate around the census has been "extremely positive" for the agency, Smith said, because it confirmed the importance of its work. The question of the role in supporting the national statistical system has concerned employees and that’s why he felt it was important to set the record straight internally on certain issues, he said.

"Left unaddressed, the issues that are concerning our staff do constitute a threat to the morale of this organization," he said. "But I cannot say I see a morale problem among the staff I am meeting day-to-day. It’s business as usual, though clearly employees are looking for visible leadership from my office."

At the height of the census controversy, Industry Minister Tony Clement, who oversees Statistics Canada, said in an interview that the agency is not independent, despite people who "like to think they are," and that the agency signed off on the voluntary survey as a viable replacement for the mandatory census. The comments were widely interpreted to be what sparked Sheikh’s resignation as chief statistician on July 21.

Asked about the issue of independence, Smith said the agency reports to government through a minister like any other department, but the government has traditionally maintained an arm’s-length relationship and left Statistics Canada to run its affairs autonomously.

"This relationship is essential to preserving the credibility of our statistics, and the necessity of maintaining this relationship has been recognized by successive governments," he said.

"So the issue is whether this conventional ‘arm’s-length relationship’ is intact or has been compromised by recent events. It is my view that this convention continues to be respected. To preserve this relationship, Statistics Canada must maintain strict neutrality and objectivity in all aspects of our work."

The parliamentary industry committee will meet Friday for a full day of hearings on the census issue.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public finance, and prior to his appointment as acting chief statistician, he was assistant chief statistician of business and trade statistics.

In the interview, he praised Sheikh’s tenure in the top job, saying "every decision he took was made in the best interests of Statistics Canada." Smith said he had no information on the timeline for a permanent successor to be appointed by the prime minister.

"It will probably will sound a little ‘kitschy,’ and look worse in print, but, when the smoke finally clears, and it will, Statistics Canada will still be the world-leading statistical agency we collectively built it to be, and that Canadians need it to be," he concluded.