The head of Statistics Canada has delivered an extraordinary rebuke to the Harper government over its plan to scrap the mandatory long-form census, quitting his post in a highly public letter that bluntly undercuts Conservative efforts to sell the changes.
Chief statistician Munir Sheikh, who helmed what has been ranked among the top statistical agencies in the world, used his agency’s own website as a last act Wednesday evening to fire a shot across the bow of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr. Sheikh, whose agency relies on rich data to take the collective pulse of Canadians, posted a statement saying the Conservative plan to replace a compulsory census questionnaire with a voluntary one won’t work.
This is a public repudiation of suggestions from Industry Minister Tony Clement that Statscan and Mr. Sheikh were of the opinion the shift was acceptable and would produce an equally detailed and accurate picture of Canada.
“I want to take this opportunity to comment on a technical statistical issue which has become the subject of media discussion ... the question of whether a voluntary survey can become a substitute for a mandatory census,” Mr. Sheikh wrote.
“It can not,” he said.
“Under the circumstances, I have tendered my resignation to the prime minister.”
The rare spectacle of a career bureaucrat falling on his sword so publicly rather than accept a policy he cannot stomach threatens to deal a fatal blow to Conservative efforts to sell their census changes. Deputy-minister-level civil servants who clash with the government traditionally exit quietly instead of walking away from elite posts on principle.
The Conservatives have so far plowed ahead unmoved by mounting opposition from businesses, provinces, doctors and educators. They say it’s an unreasonable invasion of privacy to compel 20 per cent of households to complete a mandatory long-form census with more than 50 questions about home life, work and ethnicity.
As of Wednesday night, however, the Harper government refused to back down – and even attacked Mr. Sheikh in an e-mail to supporters.
Mr. Clement issued a statement acknowledging “with regret” that Mr. Sheikh had resigned but went on to defend the changes and rebut what the departing bureaucrat had said.
The minister conceded the voluntary long form “offers challenges that do not exist in the case of a census that uses coercion to compel completion” but said he remains confident Statscan will make it work: “I believe we can compensate for these challenges and offer data-users high quality and accurate information.”
But in a separate e-mail to MPs and party stalwarts, the Tories criticized the civil servant.
“Our approach is about finding a better balance between collecting necessary data and protecting the privacy rights of Canadians,” the Tory “info-alert” said.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. Sheikh did not share these objectives.”
Mr. Clement has appointed Wayne Smith, an assistant chief statistician, as acting head of Statscan, but Mr. Sheikh’s departure leaves the agency demoralized and somewhat adrift. Many if not most of the agency’s 6,000 staff are angry and opposed to scrapping the compulsory long form and share Mr. Sheikh’s opinion the Tory alternative will not suffice.
Statscan employees say privately the agency has already undergone a significant shift in emphasis under the Harper government – away from social issues and towards more economic subjects. It’s also scaled back nuanced analysis – something that made it unique in the world, sources there say. The tone of reports is tilting away from detailed storytelling about Canadian life as workers are ordered to stick to reporting the facts.
Mr. Sheikh’s last hours as head of Statscan saw him pause before walking away from his career in Canada’s public service. At about 1 p.m. EDT he e-mailed the agency staff to say he was dropping plans for an internal meeting over the controversy in “light of today’s media coverage” and was instead pondering his future.
