Natural Resources Canada scientists were told this spring they need “pre-approval” from Minister Christian Paradis’ office to speak with national and international journalists. Their “media lines” also need ministerial approval, say documents obtained by Postmedia News through access-to-information legislation.
So, they're not allowed doing interviews or journal articles that would have national or international coverage without clearing it with their superiors first. Particularly nothing about 13,000 year old floods, oilsands, or climate change.
This is all pretty unprecedented; these are rules no government has ever made for its federal scientists before. Of course, the Harper government claims that this has been policy for years:
“Departmental officials speaking on behalf of the department are to consult the minister’s office in preparing responses,” [acting media relations manager at NRCan] Micheline Joanisse says. “While this may have been misinterpreted as being a new policy, it has been in place for years.”
This is a lie. It's a bald-faced, unequivocal lie. We know it's a lie because not only does it come as a complete shock to the scientists themselves, when asked to be pointed to where this policy was written down or officially announced, they were met with the sound of chirping crickets.
All in all, this is just another example of how the Harper government hates dealing with those pesky "experts" and their "expert opinions." It goes hand-in-hand with the destruction of the census. Stevie's not about good government, he's about maintaining power - like the worst of Cretien's and Mulroney's years put together without any of the good stuff or redeeming features. I know I keep saying stuff to that effect, but that's because it hasn't ceased being true.
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