April 2012
One of the world’s leading scientific journals has criticized
the federal government for policies that limit its scientists from speaking
publicly about their research.
The journal, Nature, says in an editorial in this week’s
issue that it is time for the Canadian government to set its scientists free.
It notes that Canada and the United States have undergone
role reversals in the past six years, with the U.S. adopting more open practices
since the end of George W. Bush’s presidency while Canada has been going in the
opposite direction.
The editorial says that since taking power in 2006,
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has tightened the media protocols
applied to federal government scientists and employees.
Nature says policy directives on government communications
that have been released through access to information requests have revealed the
Harper government has little understanding of the importance of the free flow of
scientific knowledge.
The journal says its own news reporters have experienced
firsthand the obstacles the Canadian government puts in the way of people trying
to gain access to science generated by government scientists on the public
payroll.
“The Harper government’s poor record on openness has been
raised by this publication before … and Nature’s news reporters, who have an
obvious interest in access to scientific information and expert opinion, have
experienced directly the cumbersome approval process that stalls or prevents
meaningful contact with Canada’s publicly funded scientists,” the editorial
says.
The editorial was referring to a column outlining the
problems federal scientists face that it published in September, 2010. The
column was written by Kathryn O’Hara, a professor of science broadcast
journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa and a former president of the
Canadian Science Writers’ Association.
“Little has changed in the past two years.” the editorial
continued. “Rather than address the matter, the Canadian government seems
inclined to stick with its restrictive course and ride out all objections.”
Two weeks ago the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, the
World Federation of Science Journalists and several other groups sent an open
letter to Mr. Harper, calling on him to unmuzzle federal scientists.
The letter cited a couple of high-profile examples of the
federal policy in action. Last fall Environment Canada barred David Tarasick
from speaking to journalists about his ozone layer research when it was
published in Nature. And the Privy Council Office stopped Kristina Miller, a
researcher at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, from doing interviews about a study
she published in Science on the causes of sockeye salmon decline in British
Columbia.
Nature said the Canadian policy surprised international
attendees of the recent conference in Vancouver of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science. The problem was the subject of a session at the
meeting.
“Scientists and other visitors from around the globe
discovered, to their surprise, that Canada’s generally positive foreign
reputation as a progressive, scientific nation masks some startlingly poor
behaviour,” Nature says.
“The way forward is clear: it is time for the Canadian
government to set its scientists free.”
Globe and Mail, March 1, 2012.
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