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The Sunday Magazine

Canada's Number 1 Numbers Man

Michael talks to Chief Statistician Wayne Smith, who took the job when his former boss, Munir Sheikh, resigned in protest over the Harper government's decision to kill the long-form census.
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Canada's Chief Statistician Wayne Smith (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
Sunday Edition23:49Canada's Number 1 Numbers Man

UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

Canada's Chief Statistician, Wayne Smith, resigned on September 18, 2016, on a matter of principle. He said a change instituted by the Conservative government compromises the independence of Statistics Canada. He has been unable to convince the Liberal government to reverse this decision.

According to Mr. Smith, the information technology agency called Shared Services Canada holds an effective veto over StatsCan's operations, a measure that will lead to its decline.

The previous Chief Statistician, Munir Sheikh, also resigned on principle, after the Conservative government abolished the mandatory long-form census. Michael spoke with Wayne Smith in April. It is a conversation worth hearing again, in light of his sudden resignation.

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