XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   Harper stops scientists from telling us the truth about our environment,   
   our food, our healthcare system, our oceans . . . .   
   ________________________________________________   
      
   October 21, 2013   
      
      
   Government scientists feel muzzled: survey   
      
      
      
   OTTAWA – A large survey of science professionals in the federal public   
   service has found that almost 25 per cent of respondents say they have   
   been directly asked to exclude or alter information for   
   â€œnon-scientific reasons.”   
      
   Some 71 per cent of those surveyed said political interference is   
   compromising policy development based on scientific evidence, and almost   
   half of those who took part said they were aware of cases in which their   
   department or agency suppressed information.   
      
   The study, entitled “The Big Chill,” was commissioned by the   
   Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, and paints a   
   disturbing picture of government scientists who feel they are being muzzled.   
      
   More than 4,000 federal scientists — out of more than 15,000 who were   
   invited —responded to the union-commissioned, online survey handled by   
   the polling firm Environics.   
      
   â€œA chill has settled on federal government science that is even   
   greater than that suggested by the cases so far reported by the   
   media,” Gary Corbett, the president of PIPSC, said Monday.   
      
   Federal Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault is already conducting a   
   study of how communications policy changes under the Harper government   
   have clamped down on the sharing of government science with the public.   
      
   Legault was spurred to investigate the issue by a lengthy report from   
   the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria and the   
   ethics advocacy group Democracy Watch, which included a score of   
   anecdotes from six different government departments or agencies.   
      
   The PIPSC survey, which was conducted June 5-19 and surveyed 4,069   
   of the union’s 15,398 members, adds statistical heft to that anecdotal   
   evidence.   
      
   The responses came from across more than 40 government departments and   
   agencies and included 670 Environment Canada scientists, 651 from Health   
   Canada, 427 Defence department employees, 343 from Fisheries and Oceans,   
   335 from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and almost 300 each from   
   Agriculture Canada and Natural Resources Canada.   
      
   Greg Rickford, the Conservative minister of state for science and   
   technology, said in an email that the Conservatives have made “record   
   investments in science.”   
      
   â€œScience can power commerce, create jobs, and improve the quality of   
   life for all Canadians,” said the junior minister’s email.   
      
   Through his office, however, Rickford did not respond to questions about   
   the issue at hand: the alleged muzzling of scientists and the   
   suppression of science in policy development.   
      
   A government official, speaking on background, said Environment Canada   
   scientists alone attended 300 conferences in 2011, published 600   
   articles and participated in some 1,200 interviews.   
      
   The exchange with Rickford’s office may help to illustrate the vast   
   chasm between the perspective of elected officials and public servants.   
      
   The Conservative government, it appears, believes communication needs   
   are easily met with carefully scripted and vetted talking points, even   
   if off topic. Federal scientists, on the other hand, may feel differently.   
      
   Fully 90 per cent of respondents, however, said they don’t feel   
   they’re allowed to speak freely about their work in the media, and 86   
   per cent believe they would face retaliation if they went public with   
   information about harm to public health, safety or the environment.   
      
   Corbett noted the 2006 Government of Canada communications policy states   
   it must provide the public with “timely, accurate, clear, objective   
   and complete information” about its policies, services and programs.   
      
   â€œWhether by implicit policy or explicit action, there has been   
   silencing and it continues,” Corbett said.   
      
   But the survey was equally damning in its assessment of the   
   government’s use of scientific research.   
      
   Just 21 per cent of respondents said Environment Canada uses the best   
   climate change evidence available to make policy, while only 29 per cent   
   agreed Natural Resources Canada does so.   
      
   Over at Fisheries and Oceans, 86 per cent of respondents said they felt   
   changes to the Fisheries Act will hamper Canada’s ability to protect   
   fish and their habitat.   
      
   Peter Bleyer of PIPSC said that when the 55,000-member union does   
   broader membership surveys, they typically get a fraction of the   
   response rate the science survey achieved.   
      
   Anecdotally, respondents said the muzzling of science has become worse   
   or was never as bad before the Conservatives came to power. But that’s   
   really not the issue, said Bleyer.   
      
   â€œWhether or not this problem existed before, it is a problem,” said   
   Bleyer. “It’s a potential threat to all Canadians. We need to fix   
   it.”   
      
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