XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: ont.politics, sk.politics, man.politics   
   From: "@nyet.ca   
      
   > "gordo"  wrote in message   
   >> Wrong. Other employees are not involved in scientific research and   
   >> forbidden  to inform the public, about health,safety and environment   
   >> issues, from the findings of their research.   
      
      
   On 6/5/2014 10:30 AM, M.I.Wakefield wrote:   
   > No, I'm right:  If you work for the government, they own everything you   
   > do, and you can't talk about it without permission.   
      
   No, you're wrong again, Dobranski.  'Government' is the people of the   
   country.  The people who work for Harper and his Cons during their term   
   in office, work for us.  They're paid by us, the taxpayers, not Harper   
   and his Cons.   
      
   And they have the same rights to constitutional freedom of speech as do   
   the rest of us.  They didn't give up those constitutional rights when   
   they were hired by us to work for us.   
      
   And it looks like the courts are taking a look at still another one of   
   Harper's attempts to bring in rules or laws that are UNconstitutional . . .   
   ________________________________   
      
   CBC News Posted: Feb 20, 2013 	   
      
   Could muzzling federal scientists be illegal?   
      
   Canada's information commissioner being asked if policies break law   
      
   	   
      
   The Information Commissioner of Canada is being asked to investigate   
   whether "federal government policy forcing scientists to jump through   
   hoops before speaking with the media" breaches the Access to Information   
   Act.   
      
   The request was made as part of a complaint filed Wednesday by Democracy   
   Watch, a non-profit organization that advocates for government   
   accountability, and the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Clinic.   
      
   "In sharp contrast to past Canadian practice and current U.S. Government   
   practice, the federal government has recently made efforts to prevent   
   the media and the general public from speaking to government   
   scientists," said Tyler Sommers, coordinator of Democracy Watch, in a   
   statement.   
      
   "Federal civil servants in Canada, and in particular scientists, are   
   being muzzled by the federal government," alleges a report by Democracy   
   Watch and the University of Victoria's Environmental Law Clinic.   
      
   He noted that the scientists conduct research that is paid for by   
   taxpayers who therefore have a right to learn the results.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   Calvin Sandborn, legal director of the University of Victoria’s   
   Environmental Law Clinic, said in a statement that "Canadians cannot   
   make smart choices about critical issues such as climate change, oil   
   sands development, and environmental protection if the public does not   
   have full, timely access to the government’s best scientific knowledge   
   on those issues.   
      
   "This is why we’ve filed this complaint and why we are asking for a full   
   investigation."   
      
   Sommers said the groups believe that parts of the act being violated   
   include those that:   
      
   ~    State government information should be available to the public and   
   necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific.   
   ~    Specify that the government should provide "timely access" to   
   records without regard to the identity of a person making the request.   
      
   "We don't know how far-reaching the situation is," he added in an interview.   
      
        'We are asking for a full investigation into whether federal   
   government policy forcing scientists to jump through hoops before   
   speaking with the media violates access to information law.'—Calvin   
   Sandborn, UVic Environmental Law Clinic   
      
   While he thinks certain sections of the act are being violated, based on   
   a limited investigation by Democracy Watch and the Environmental Law   
   Clinic, he suggested that the information commissioner, "may be able to   
   uncover much more" in a more thorough investigation and issue a clear   
   interpretation on how the act should be applied.   
      
   He added that the commissioner is currently reviewing Canada's access to   
   information system in comparison to other countries worldwide, providing   
   a good opportunity for such an investigation.   
      
      
   Report outlines techniques   
      
   The groups allege in a newly-released 26-page report that "federal civil   
   servants in Canada, and in particular, scientists, are being muzzled by   
   the federal government:"   
      
   ~    Directly, by not being allowed to speak to the media.   
   ~    Indirectly, through bureaucratic procedures that delay approval to   
   speak to the media – delays that are incompatible with journalists’   
   deadlines.   
      
   The report also alleges that the government is "manipulating the release   
   of government information" by:   
      
     ~   Selecting which media inquiries to respond to.   
   ~    Having communications employees craft "approved lines" or provide   
   scripted answers for civil servants to deliver.   
   ~    Using "subtle means of intimidation" when civil servants speak   
   directly to the media, such as requiring an interview to be recorded or   
   requiring a communications employee to sit in on the interview.   
      
   The report examines communications policy changes and their consequences   
   at Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Natural   
   Resources Canada and the National Research Council and concludes that   
   "there is a clear and significant trend showing that the federal   
   government is closing off access to government information by tightly   
   controlling and monitoring the release of government information to the   
   public."   
      
   The report adds that it is "even more alarming" that the government has   
   ignored international criticism "and seems intent on continuing down   
   this path."   
      
   The report was based on internal government documents previously   
   released through freedom of information requests, along with   
   conversations with current and former federal public servants,   
   journalists, members of non-profit organizations, and professors at   
   Canadian universities.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)