Anil Arora: ‘Democracy thrives on understanding, not fear’

Anil Arora received the 2025 Testimonial Dinner Award on April 24 in Toronto. As Canada’s chief statistician from 2016 to 2024, Anil led the modernization of Statistics Canada and found innovative ways to explain data. 

Here is his acceptance speech:

Good evening, bonsoir mes amis. C’est vraiment un plaisir d’être ici avec vous. Let me begin by acknowledging the Indigenous lands on which we are gathered. It’s truly important always to recognize the deep history and stewardship of these lands.

I also want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients tonight, many of whom I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working alongside over the years. I salute each and every one of you for your service to Canada and to Canadians. It’s a real honour, and frankly, really intimidating, to be in such esteemed company.

Thank you to the Public Policy Forum, I know Edward, you’re here. Inez, Jay, the entire board, André, thank you. And above all to my family, my wife, my beautiful wife, who’s here. My son, who’s also here. Thank you. I wouldn’t be standing here today without your love and your support and your patience and perhaps perseverance through all those data, sexy data, conversations over dinners.

I have devoted most of my professional life to public service because frankly, it gave me meaning, it gave me joy, a decent life, and a chance to give back to a country I love dearly. A country that I immigrated to with my family some 50 years ago now.

Public service may not always be glamorous, or in fact, for everyone, but to me it’s where the magic happens. It’s where we try, sometimes clumsily, often courageously, to make things better for everyone.

As Margaret Mead famously said, never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. So this recognition belongs to all of you, especially to the dedicated public servants who show up each and every single day, quietly making life better for all Canadians.

Much of my time was spent in the world of data and statistics. I did spend some time in the policy area and natural resources, as well as with Health Canada. In fact, thalidomide was one of my classes as well. Collecting, tabulating, analyzing, disseminating well-researched facts and evidence were my calling card. I became, in a sense, Canada’s socioeconomic storyteller. And I’ve told stories to anyone who would listen. Prime ministers, cabinet ministers, clerks and deputy ministers, business leaders, the media, academics, researchers, students, citizens and the like.

Sometimes it was an uncomfortable truth, but I always tried to let the data talk. There were a few dinner parties where I was only invited once.

From Statistics Canada to the OECD, to the University of Alberta, to the Canada School of Public Service and on and on, and even at Harvard, I truly have been privileged to work with the very best.

And here’s the thing, Canada’s data systems must not only remain world class. They must go beyond, not because we want bragging rights, but because data, facts and evidence underpin everything we do. We make up just 0.5 percent of the world’s population, and yet we punch well above our weight, and we must, if we are to continue to the standard and quality of life that we enjoy.

And to do that we need data that reveal patterns and connections between housing, immigration, skills, demographics, productivity, growth and inclusion. We need all of it. Because none of these things operate in isolation or in a vacuum. They are intricately connected and in order to have impactful policy and program delivery, we must understand which levers move positive and equally negative outcomes.

It’s a competitive global landscape, and data, with it, coming a deeper understanding, must be our competitive advantage when negotiating across the table with a shrewd adversary. As we remove barriers across jurisdictions, we must share data in responsible ways. With better data, we see more clearly. Timely data allows us to see faster and in turn to act and react in a timely manner.

When we understand these connections, we can make more efficient and with our precious resources, target those pressing needs.

2017-2018 was the first time that we actually did, the first in the world, a survey on putting a value to data in this country. Never been done in the world. And what we found out, that the stock, the value of the stock of our data, was actually even larger than the stock of our natural resources. The flow, in other words, how much we put each year into our data was actually more than how much we invested in exploration and production.

We must build out our data infrastructure just as we do our physical infrastructure. We can’t afford the unintended consequences of isolated or ineffective policy interventions. We need conscious, transparent decision-making, policies based on facts with clear performance indicators and an openness to course correct in real time when needed. To ignore data gaps when we have the means to build them is a conscious choice. And often, it’s a policy choice that leaves certain voices unheard and regions of our country and sectors of our economy in the dark.

And let’s be honest, when good data are missing, misinformation rushes in to take its place. That’s not just inconvenient. It’s a very dangerous thing. Democracy thrives on understanding, not fear. As Carl Sagan put it, we live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.

Today’s digital economy is dependent upon quality and timely data. We must enable policymakers, citizen and businesses to be far more data literate in the digital age. We must invest in our data infrastructure, responsibly harness AI and govern ethically if we are to earn the trust of citizens and our institutions.

Good data and evidence must not be an afterthought but a foundational piece of good governance and policymaking. After all, would you drive a sports car without a dashboard and rely on instinct, anecdotes or opinions? Sure, looks cool, until you crash. Bad data leads to bad policy. Good data builds trust. And goodness knows we could all use a little more of that these days. Good data won’t solve everything. But I can promise you this: We can’t do much good without it. An effective policymaker must then equally be a competent and responsible data steward.

I leave you with the following thoughts. I know a place where ideology trumps facts. Canada must not be that place. I know a place where misinformation and disinformation is shaping public sentiment and even political discourse. Canada must not be that a place. I want place where good facts and evidence guides decisions and policymaking. Canada must be that place. I want a place where our fact base is inclusive and respects diversity. Canada must be that place. I want a place where artificial intelligence applications are based on unbiased, ethical and good data quality that furthers our understanding and moves our economy forward with our people. Canada can be that place.

Oh, digital Canada, facts and truth stand on guard for thee.

Thank you and I shall always be grateful.

Hear from more 2025 honourees:

• Steve Paikin, renowned journalist and longtime host of The Agenda on TVO, winner of the 2025 Hyman Solomon Award for public interest journalism 
• Alfred Burgesson, founder and CEO of Tribe Network, winner of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award
• Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the longest-serving lieutenant-governor of Ontario
• Marc-André Blanchard, Executive Vice-President of CDPQ Global and former diplomat
• Chief Crystal Smith, leader of the Haisla Nation