To the editor:
In response to Gordon Laity’s letter, headlined Wrong for Tories to muzzle scientists, (page A9 March 6 Free Press), it’s very reminiscent of all the other unsubstantiated attacks made against this government – long on vague accusations, short on specific examples.
Much like “scary” Stephen Harper’s “hidden agenda,” the faux robocall scandal, the myth of the escalating cost of F-35s, the gutting of environmental legislation and the imminent ban on abortion and same-sex marriage, it’s obviously nothing more than a smear campaign concocted by their political opponents and perpetrated by the mainstream media.
And suspiciously similar to often-seen form letters that certain opposition parties and leftist groups encourage their members to write.
Of course this government, like all governments, imposes limits on what their employees, including scientists, can speak about publicly, and quite rightly so. CSIS agents are not allowed to blab to the press about their missions, medical workers do not discuss their patient’s conditions, teachers do not talk about individual students.
When the media approaches anyone in these agencies, they’re directed towards the designated PR spokesperson.
It’s quite reasonable that scientists as well are ordered not to speak to the media on their own. It could be that proprietary information of benefit to the whole country is at stake. And if they disagree with that policy, they’re certainly free to seek other employment.
Otherwise, what deep, dark secrets could the government possibly be suppressing? Have they found alien spacecraft under the arctic ice? Yetis? Atlantis?
Actually, if one is looking for an egregious example of a government cover-up of relevant scientific information that should be made available to the public, there is the recent case involving the United Kingdom Meteorological Office. Although they determined that the Earth has not warmed at all in the last 16 years, it took a FOI request by the Daily Mail to extract this important information.
It’s ironic, too, that the same people who denounce muzzling of scientists are usually the first to start bleating when the government releases FSA test results and the Fraser Institute publicizes them.
I. Schreifels
108 Mile Ranch
