RSSeNEWS to be determined...

The acting head at Statistics Canada has said that its the relationship with government is "arm's-length" by "convention rather than a legal fact", and that in his view the "convention continues to be respected".

Wayne Smith made the comments in StatCan's internal newsletter, and also told staff that "to preserve this relationship, Statistics Canada must maintain strict neutrality and objectivity in all aspects of our work."

"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 wrote.

The remarks are being seen as a response to Industry Minister Tony Clement's assertion in July that StatsCan is not independent although staff at the agency "like to think they are".

In the newsletter, Smith reported "it's business as usual, though clearly employees are looking for visible leadership from my office." He claimed that the debate about changes to the census highlighted the importance of Statscan's work, and thus was "extremely positive" for the agency.

"Left unaddressed, the issues that are concerning our staff do constitute a threat to the morale of this organization," Smith noted. "But I cannot say I see a morale problem among the staff I am meeting day-to-day."

Commenting on the replacement of the long-form census with a voluntary survey from 2011, Smith said "Survey results will, of course, never be comparable to census data … Nonetheless, the National Household Survey will produce usable and useful data that can meet the needs of many users."

Meanwhile the Canadian Liberal party has announced its intention to introduce legislation to restore the mandatory long-form census questionnaire when the House of Commons resumes sitting in the Autumn.

Liberal MP John McCallum confirmed that the bill would also remove the sanction of imprisonment for anyone failing to complete the census.