Statscan loses analyst as critics blame government

Opposition critics blamed the government Thursday for the departure of another top Statistics Canada employee who reportedly disagrees with the government's handling of the agency.

Philip Cross, the agency's chief economic analyst, left Statistics Canada after 36 years of service to become a research fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute, an economic policy think-tank based in Toronto.

"He says he can no longer express his views freely," said NDP MP Guy Caron in Thursday's question period in the House of Commons. "This government is depriving families of information that's essential to their well-being and depriving us of brilliant consultants."

"I understand that this individual decided to work in the private sector since he can work with free data," said Industry Minister Christian Paradis in response to Caron. "We thank him for his service in the public sector."

Earlier this week, Statistics Canada began offering to the public for free a lot of data previously available only after purchase, as part of the federal government's "open government" initiative.

Cross occasionally appeared in media reports, interpreting Statistics Canada reports for the general public.

Cross's departure follows that of StatsCan's former head, Munir Sheikh, who resigned in July 2010 over the government's decision to end the mandatory long-form household census and replace it with a voluntary survey.

"After the chief statistician, it's now a renowned economic analyst," Caron told the House of Commons. "Philip Cross was leaving because he disapproved, and he said so clearly, with the decision of the Conservatives on the census and the fact that he couldn't speak freely."

"Everyone knows of this government's obsession of silencing all those who disagree with it," Caron said. "This government is listening to no one."

Response rate exceeds target

In response, Paradis reminded the House of Commons that the response rate for the National Household Survey, the voluntary questionnaire intended to replace the previously-compulsory census, was 69.3 per cent, "well above the target rate of 50 per cent."

Paradis noted that Statistics Canada has said that there will be good and useful results from this survey.

Earlier Thursday, Liberal industry critic Geoff Regan issued a press release expressing his concern over the resignation.

"When someone of Mr. Cross' experience and expertise resigns because internal debate at the agency is stymied, it damages the credibility and reputation of Statistics Canada," Regan wrote.

"It is clear that the Harper Conservatives don’t put any stock in scientific evidence when developing policy, but the fact that we are continuing to lose the expertise of people like Mr. Cross and Mr. Sheikh is a disservice to Canadians everywhere," Regan added.