Scientists and journalists have spoken out, but the government didn’t listen. We need to show the federal government that Canadians stand behind our publicly-funded scientists and want them to be able to communicate openly with the media and the public.

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Tell the government to stop censoring and suppressing public science

To: Right Honourable Stephen Harper – Prime Minister of Canada

cc: Tom Mulcair, Leader, New Democratic Party; Bob Rae, Leader, Liberal Party; Louis Plamondon, Parliamentary Leader, Bloc Québécois; Elizabeth May, Leader, Green Party

From:(All fields are required.)

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Subject: Stop censoring and suppressing public science

Body:

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

I am concerned about the shifting relationship between the government and public scientists. A recent report by the University of Victoria Environmental Law Clinic presents extensive evidence of internal communication policies that severely constrain the ability of government scientists to bring their science into the public domain. New publishing policies at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans put up additional barriers for government scientists to publish their work and make it harder for them to collaborate with non-governmental scientists. And last week it was revealed that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is now demanding that foreign scientists on a joint Canada-U.S. Arctic research project sign a sweeping confidentiality agreement which could make it less likely for international scientists to undertake collaborative research with DFO scientists.

Your government has repeatedly stated that science plays an important role in government decision making. Yet these policies are not consistent with that view.

The open and transparent communication of science is crucial for informed public debate and a functioning democracy.  Moreover, open communication within the scientific community is how science progresses.

I am calling on you to implement a new government policy (similar to policies that have been adopted in the United States and Britain) that makes it explicit that scientists are able to communicate their results openly and freely to the public, except in cases where the government can justify that it is not in the public’s best interest and to retract the new publishing policies at DFO that were implemented on February 1st 2013.

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Science Uncensored

Why is our government censoring and suppressing science?

Scientists and journalists have spoken out, but the government didn’t listen. We need to show the federal government that Canadians stand behind our publicly-funded scientists and want them to be able to communicate openly with the media and the public.

Donate

Donating by Cheque