Shane Reti: Statistics Minister on the Government scrapping the census for an annual survey

The Statistics Minister says his agency is well up to transforming how the Census is done in New Zealand, despite previous short-comings.

The five-yearly census is being replaced by a smaller, annual survey - and using Government department data.

Stats NZ has faced past criticism over poor Census response rates 

But Shane Reti says it's ready to turn that around.

"There's been some fall-overs with Stats NZ - and actually, part of our job is also to build trust and to build quality with Stats NZ. I believe they'll be able to rebuild their reputation and deliver quality."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If and the census is gon Burger. The government scrapping

(00:02):
the census and will instead use data it already collects
through agencies like IID and Immigration New Zealand. Plus there
will be smaller annual surveys to fill in the blank.
Shane that reti is the Minister for Statistics.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
High Shane, thank you all to Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Will you be able to replace all of the information
with other information?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
No, we won't be able to place all of the information,
but the essential information for census we will be able
to gather through the gather through the three collection sources,
administrative data, and then an annual community attribute survey which
will go out to about five percent of households, and
then targeted surveying for those hard to reach communities, those
that we might not even reach with a conventional census.

(00:42):
Is what we're going to do.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Okay, So what kind of stuff are you going to
will fall out of.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
This or it'll be things like languages spoken, really hard
to determine that for administrative data, what we're working hard
on at the moment is some of the level three
and Level four ethnicities. That's kind of hard together as well.
But here's the advantage. By pushing out the census to
twenty twenty eight twenty thirty, we're now able to give
some direction to other agencies of hey, look, we're light

(01:08):
in this space. Can you please shift up a gear
towards this information that you do collect, but we need
it collected in the style of this type by the state.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Okay. So for example, with like income information IID will
obviously have that does is IID IID and other government
departments sharing that kind of information with Statistics New Zealand.
Is it easy for them to collate it and send
it over.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
We've got good robust mechanisms. ID is a good example.
There is a good pathway with Stats New Zealand. And
this is really important because as part of an economic
growth agenda we need really good economic data, which is
the other part of the announcement today.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Are you worried at all about government departments not wanting
to share information?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Look under the Statistics Act there actually is a requirement.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeh. But do you remember there was a case about
three years ago where ordering Atomitiki refuse to share information with.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Stats I do and that's certainly not the will of
this government and the CEE of Stats New Zealand is
bringing together all the other cees from the relevant agencies
to make it clear what their expectation is.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Is Stat's in Z up to the job. Shane.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Look, it's fair to say that there's been some fallovers
with Status New Zealand and so actually part of our
job it also to build trust and to build quality
in Status New Zealand. I believe the skills are there
and certainly on this timeframe that we have that they'll
be able to rebuild their reputation and deliver quality. So yes,
that is part of the work either.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Shane, thank you so much. Make appreciate it. That's Shane,
that reci the Minister for Statistics. For more from Heather
Duplassy Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. It'd be
from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.