Editorial - 16-7

Observers of Ottawa’s collective S&T effort could be forgiven for asking whether there’s anyone minding the store. At a time when the federal government has committed to doubling its R&D effort and positioning innovation as a key policy thrust, critics from a variety of sources are uncovering a litany of shoddy practices and weak oversight.

Some of those critics, such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, might be labeled as ideologically biased, while others, like the Auditor General’s office, could be dismissed as high-paid bean counters . But if you stack up the reports and complaints about the delivery and accountability of our national S&T programs — many of which are arm’s length — a disturbing picture begins to emerge.

Part of the problem may be attributed to a bureaucracy adapting to new ways of doing business. Or one could point to the oversight structure for S&T which will almost certainly change following consultations for the government’s innovation agenda. An even more obvious source of the problem is the smoldering leadership campaign for the prime minister’s job. And the key industry portfolio has been handled by not one but two leadership hopefuls in the past year.

The result has been a lack of internal and external communications, delayed announcements and growing suspicion that the innovation file is not well managed. S&T is a serious, complex business and its efficient administration is crucial. If government doesn’t properly administer the S&T it already controls, what are the prospects for efficiency and accountability of a portfolio twice that size?