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Muzzled Canadian Scientists Can Now Speak Freely With Public (thestar.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the can-now-reveal-why-the-maple-leafs-are-so-bad dept.

Layzej writes: Over the last 10 years, policies were put in place to prevent Canadian scientists from freely discussing taxpayer-funded science with the public. "media relations contacts" were enlisted to monitor and record interactions with the press. Interviews and often the questions to be asked were vetted ahead of time, and responses given by scientists frequently monitored or prohibited. Nature, one of the world's top science journals, called the policy a "Byzantine approach to the press, prioritizing message control and showing little understanding of the importance of the free flow of scientific knowledge."

The new government in Canada is lifting these restrictions. Scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were told Thursday they can now speak to the media. In a statement on Friday afternoon, Navdeep Bains, Canada's new minister of innovation, science and economic development said "Our government values science and will treat scientists with respect. This is why government scientists and experts will be able to speak freely about their work to the media and the public."

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Scientists and media both happy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not only were scientists muzzled, the media wasn't allowed to question the government either. Any kind of press was carefully preplanned, scripted and designed with the best interests of the Conservative party in mind.

    I strongly disagree with the Conservative Party of Canada. Don't forget, these aren't the "Progressive Conservatives" that won votes on policy, these are the hard right Reformers who campaign on fear and divisiveness.

    1. Re:Scientists and media both happy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That sounds suspiciously like the beginnings of a totalitarian regime. Probably why the liberals got a 'surprise' win ... I think Conservatives assume all other people are as stupid as they are. I'm in the US, but once I realized how conservatives here reject solid scientific conclusions based on hard evidence of many things, even when the logic is undeniable (to a rational person) ... I realized how irrational they really are. I'll never vote for another one as long as I live. This covers a myriad of topics, but I use Creationism as my litmus test. Anyone that believes the earth was literally created in 6 days a few thousand years ago is not mentally equipped to be making policies or laws that will affect me.

    2. Re:Scientists and media both happy by dryeo · · Score: 5, Informative

      You would have liked Harpers small government. Things like shrinking Revenue Canada so all it can investigate is left wing non-profits, shrinking Election Canada so it can't even tell people where to vote accurately, little well encourage them, shrinking the military so all the moneys spent on killing brown people and buying the F35, a plane that's useless for the arctic, but no money for the injured vets returning. A huge propaganda department so continuous bombardment of ads telling us how great Harpers Government (not the Government of Canada) is doing and of course spying on the citizens as they might have the wrong politics.
      Yes a small government that is big enough to go after its opponents and get their message out.
      Oh also a government that can inherit a surplus and run a $56 billion deficit while telling us how fiscally responsible they are. At least they didn't waste those $2 billion on those welfare queen veterans and finally balanced the budget after 7 years of deficits.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  2. Canadian science by crashexl2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    In related news, a flood of new scientific data was released on the subject of maple syrup.

  3. Re: Deja vu by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have to admit, I've been completely cynical about the country going from "conservative for conservative's sake, even when it flies in the face of logic" to "let's try new things, damn the expenses!" leadership -- but so far, the Liberals' actual moves have really impressed me; IMO they've been doing everything right. We'll see if that extends to some degree of fiscal responsibility -- that's going to be a thorny one -- and the TPP.

    The one thing Justin has going for him is that he had to experience his father. There was a great documentary done a number of years back -- if it's at all factual, Justin won't be quick to repeat the mistakes of Pierre. He not only appears to have learned how things work from him, but also what not to do to mess up a country. We'll see if that lasts through an entire term.