Good morning everyone,
It's a pleasure to be here with you - 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.
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.
That's why I'm proud to serve as the Assistant Minister responsible for the ABS - an institution that proves, day after day, that good government begins with good data.
Your work underpins everything from macroeconomic management to long‑term social policy. 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.
In an age of disinformation, that role is more vital than ever. 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.
You're also innovating. The integration of microdata across domains - safely, securely, and ethically - is unlocking new insights into how Australians live, work and move through life. It's giving researchers and policymakers the tools to understand dynamic problems with more nuance and depth.
And it matters especially for the task ahead: lifting productivity.
We know that productivity growth drives living standards, wages and national prosperity. But you can't improve what you don't understand. Your work helps identify where the friction points are - whether it's skills mismatch, regional gaps, low business churn or technological underinvestment. It's not just descriptive - it's diagnostic. And the better the diagnosis, the more effective the treatment.
Then there's artificial intelligence.
As AI becomes more integrated into business, research and policy, the importance of quality input increases. Feed a model junk, and it produces junk - only faster, and with more misplaced confidence.
That's where the ABS plays a foundational role. Your datasets - large, representative, transparent - are the gold standard. They're the training ground and the benchmarking tool for responsible, real‑world AI. In a world of deep fakes and shallow analysis, your work reminds us what grounded truth actually looks like.
Next year, of course, brings the Census - the largest, most ambitious data collection exercise in Australia.
For most people, it's one night. For you, it's years of methodical preparation - testing, refining, translating, simplifying, securing. The Census reveals who we are: how we live, what languages we speak, how our households are changing and what kinds of services we'll need in years to come.
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. 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.
Let me also acknowledge your communications team - who've somehow managed to make the ABS a social media standout. Whether it's Valentine's Day spending trends, baby name charts or subtle Census humour, you're showing Australians that data can be sharp, digestible, and occasionally even… fun. (And that's not just an anecdote - it's observable in the engagement metrics.)
Finally, I want to recognise the leadership of David Gruen.
Under David's stewardship, the ABS has maintained its reputation for statistical excellence while modernising for a more complex and fast‑moving world. 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.
David, thank you for your leadership. The country is better for it.
Let me finish on this.
Your work doesn't always make headlines. It's not splashy or loud. But it is essential. Because in the end, democracy works better when it's built on truth. And you are the ones who measure that truth - carefully, quietly, and brilliantly.
So thank you - for your service, your rigour, and your statistical stubbornness.
And if anyone tells you statistics is boring, just smile and say, 'We tested that hypothesis. It wasn't statistically significant.'
Thank you.
