XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics, edm.general   
   From: doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca   
      
   In article ,   
   =?UTF-8?B?Q29uyYBSQ29uyYA=?=   wrote:   
   >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   
   >“non-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.   
   >   
   >“A 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.”   
   >   
   >“Science 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.   
   >   
   >“Whether 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.   
   >   
   >“Whether 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.”   
      
   Time for Lying Stephen to come clean.   
   --   
   Member - Liberal International	This is doctor@nl2k.ab.ca Ici doctor@nl2k.ab.ca   
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   23 Nov 2013 a Big day indeed   
      
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