[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter nine years of silence, scientists who work for the Canadian government are once more free to speak to the media. This means that Canadians will again be able to hear about publicly funded research from the scientists themselves, and not statements released by a team of government spin doctors.
This is likely to usher in a new era of understanding climate change and how it will directly affect Canada. While climate research is being undertaken by scientists around the world, since 2006 there has been a distinct lack of Canadian research into the area. It is a poorly-kept secret that the Conservative government under Stephen Harper didn’t really care about climate change and was more concerned with bolstering the economy, especially through the exploitation of fossil fuel resources.
The new Liberal government with Justin Trudeau at the helm is ushering in a new era of governmental respect for scientists. There is now a new cabinet position — Minister of Science — bringing the total number of science ministers to two; the other one being Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Also, there has been a rebranding of the Minister of Environment — now Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
The creation of a new cabinet position and the expansion of the duties for which the Minister of Environment is responsible should be of some indication that the new Liberal government is on track to value scientists and what they can do; not just for the research surrounding vaccines and other health issues, but for the work they can do to help preserve the health of the Canadian environment.
I am looking forward to seeing governmental policy guided by scientific findings instead of the promise of short-term economic gain.
All Canadians should take climate change and the health of the Canadian environment seriously, as it not only affects coastal communities through sea level change but also those who live in the nation’s interior. Those who live in the interior do most of the nation’s agricultural production. The fact that climate change affects the weather patterns across the country should be of great concern, as it begins to affect access to affordable food. By working towards improving the Canadian climate as a whole, the overall health of the nation can be improved.
So what should be most exciting with regards to our unmuzzled scientists isn’t that they can talk to the media again, it’s that they will be openly valued by this government for what they are; incredibly skilled people who know way more about one specific thing than most people will in their entire lives. And as a result, when making policy changes, the new Liberal government will openly consider what they know.
I am looking forward to seeing governmental policy guided by scientific findings instead of the promise of short-term economic gain. If the new government manages to keep its promises surrounding climate change and the importance of scientists — which, given the creation of a new cabinet position and the renaming of another, doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch — then our country will not only have re-entered the 21st century, but will have made dramatic progress on the world stage from 2006 when government scientists were wrongfully silenced by the Conservative government.
