The chief of Statistics Canada, Wayne Smith, has resigned from his position to bring attention to the fact that the independence of his agency is compromised by the new information-technology arrangements.
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I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign as chief statistician of Canada, effective today.
In an e-mail to the National Statistical Council, Smith says Shared Services Canada now holds an effective veto over numerous statistical agency’s operations.
He said Statistics Canada is “increasingly hobbled in the delivery of its programs through disruptive, ineffective, slow and unaffordable supply” of technology services.
The head of Statistics Canada has resigned over his concern the agency has lost its independence and can not adequately protect Canadians’ personal information.
“First and foremost I would like to thank Mr. Smith for his long and dedicated service at Statistics Canada”.
Smith came to the job after Munir Sheikh resigned in 2010 in protest after the previous Conservative government scrapped the long-form census. “I have not succeeded”, Smith wrote in an email to employees, obtained by the Star Friday afternoon.
I have made every effort to convince the current government to correct this situation.
“Most recently, his work was key in delivering our government’s commitment to reinstating the long form census”.
In a nod to the concerns, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said the government was working closely with the agency toward the reinforcement of its independence.
The previous Conservative government announced the creation of Shared Services Canada in 2011, saying that centralizing IT services would save taxpayers millions of dollars annually by cutting down duplication across dozens of departments.
The agency was criticized earlier this year for technological issues that delayed the release of some economic reports on its website.
Statistics council member Susan McDaniel said her conversations with Smith suggested that he was optimistic the concerns about IT could be resolved.
The government already exempts the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court and agents of Parliament like the auditor general from oversight by Shared Services Canada. I believe it is the professional duty of a national statistician to resign if the independence of the national statistical office – as envisioned in documents endorsed by Canada such as the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the OECD Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice – is compromised.
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All of you are aware that the government has committed to reinforce the independence of Statistics Canada. I can only hope that this gesture helps to ensure that Statistics Canada is ultimately given the means to continue to provide exceptional, world leading service to Canadians.
