Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh gave ABS staff a lot of praise and a lot of jokes about data and statistics. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The Federal Government’s data-loving Assistant Minister who just happens to be responsible for the Australian Bureau of Statistics, dropped into the agency to personally give staff some welcome praise.
Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, impressed on ABS staff the importance of their work in this age of disinformation.
Speaking to staff during a meet-and-greet at the agency’s Belconnen headquarters on Thursday (12 June), Dr Leigh told them he felt as though he was among friends who shared a love of statistics.
“The kind of people who quietly judge those who say ‘data is’, who experience mild distress at exploded pie charts, and who’ve been known to correct a dinner guest on the difference between mean, median and mode,” he said.
“People after my own heart.
“As someone with a long-standing affection for statistics – bordering on the statistically significant – I feel very much among kindred spirits.
“While others unwind with reality TV, I’ve been known to relax by running a fixed-effects model and checking for heteroskedasticity.
“I find a well-behaved residual plot oddly soothing. And I’ll admit: I’ve lost more than one afternoon to a debate about instrument validity.
“I know I’m among people who’ve said the phrase ‘conditional on observables’ in casual conversation – and meant it.”
Stressing on ABS staff that good government begins with data, Dr Leigh turned the focus of his address to the importance of their work.
And he praised their efforts in keeping the nation informed and in helping guide government decision-making.
“Your work underpins everything from macroeconomic management to long-term social policy,” the Assistant Minister said.
“The CPI, the Wage Price Index, labour force statistics, national accounts – these aren’t just numbers on a page.
“They’re the dials and gauges that guide Australia’s economic engine.
“And in social policy, your contribution is equally essential.
“ABS data allows us to target disadvantage, track equity gaps, plan for future needs, and evaluate whether programs are working.
“Whether it’s education, housing, disability or cultural diversity – you provide the empirical foundation on which better lives can be built.”
Dr Leigh said the ABS was innovative, integrating microdata across domains – safely, securely, and ethically – and unlocking new insights into how Australians live, work and move through life.
The work of the ABS provides researchers and policymakers with the tools to understand complex problems with greater nuance and depth.
“In an age of disinformation, that role is more vital than ever,” Dr Leigh said.
“Australians are exposed to more content, from more sources, than at any point in history – and not all of it is credible.
“When misinformation spreads, it’s rarely subtle. It’s confident, it’s oversimplified, and it’s often wrong.
“The antidote isn’t just rebuttal; it’s trusted public data, created with care, and communicated with clarity.
“That trust isn’t automatic. It’s earned through transparency, consistency and an unwavering commitment to rigour.
“It’s why ABS releases don’t need a spin cycle. It’s why your work is cited by policymakers, journalists, researchers and business leaders – even if few of them understand confidence intervals quite as well as you do.”
Next year brings the Census. While for most people it’s a one-night event, for ABS staff, “it’s years of methodical preparation” that results in revealing “who we are” and what kinds of services will be needed in the years ahead.
“It’s how we know that more Australians now speak Punjabi than Greek at home. That more people identify with no religion than any single faith,” Dr Leigh said.
“That housing stress is rising in some regions, while population is booming in others.
“The Census is more than a snapshot – it’s the lens through which Australia sees itself. And you make it happen.”
Australian Statistician David Gruen has led the ABS since December 2019. Photo: IPAA
Leaving his final praise for Australian Statistician and ABS boss David Gruen, the Assistant Minister said the country was better off for his leadership.
Dr Gruen was appointed agency head in December 2019.
“He’s guided the bureau through a pandemic, adapted to new data sources, strengthened partnerships with researchers and policymakers, and done it all with steadiness, good judgement and – yes – a dry wit that is very much within the 95 per cent confidence band,” Dr Leigh said.
The Assistant Minister’s departing remark to staff was just as clever an in-joke (ie, wonkish) as those sprinkled throughout the rest of his speech.
“If anyone tells you statistics are boring, just smile and say: ‘We tested that hypothesis – it wasn’t statistically significant’,” he said (to much laughter).
