Report on Harper government's muzzling of federal scientists sparks investigation

The findings of a new report accusing the Harper government of muzzling federal scientists has convinced the Federal Information Commissioner (FIC) to initiate an investigation into its allegations. Commissioner Suzanne Legault announced April 2 that she would investigate the claims at the request of its authors — Democracy Watch and the Univ of Victoria Environmental Law Centre.

The 20-page report — plus a 108-page appendix — argues that since 2006, the government has engaged in a coordinated and sustained manner to control the flow of federally generated scientific information to the public via the media and suppresses information on sensitive environmental issues (climate change, oil sands).

The FIC's investigation encompasses seven departments and agencies: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Department of Environment, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Department of National Defence, Department of Natural Resources, National Research Council and Treasury Board Secretariat.

The impact of the communications policy, which one scientist described as an "Iron Curtain", has been criticized nationally and internationally. Several scientific and media organizations have publicly called for Canada to follow the example of the US Obama administration and allow scientists to communicate with the media without conditions or pre-approvals.

"Since 2006, Prime Minister Harper's government has gradually tightened the media protocols that federal scientists and other government workers must comply with. Researchers who once responded freely and openly to media requests must now seek pre-approval from Media Relations departments before interacting with the media," states the report. "Requests for government information that were once considered routine and answered by a quick phone call must now be filtered through the bureaucratic procedures of communications departments."

Entitled Muzzling Civil Servants:A Threat to Democracy?, the report details many instances of scientists being prohibited from speaking with the media on sensitive issues and of requests for information delayed or information massaged into officially sanctioned talking points.

The government has refuted the charges. The report can be found at www.elc.uvic.ca.

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