Scientists are free to speak, repeats government

A recent poll showed that more than half of Canadian scientists employed by the federal government still feel they cannot openly discuss their work. Scientists were muzzled by the previous Conservative government, but when the Liberals were elected in 2015, they promised scientists would be free to speak.

Today, two ministers and the head of a union which represents the scientists announced they had signed a letter “emphasizing the freedom of publicly funded federal scientists to fully engage with each other and with Canadians on matters related to their research expertise.”

A man dressed as then prime minister Stephen Harper poses during a demonstration against the muzzling of federal government employees in Ottawa April 18, 2013. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

‘Not just talk,’ says government

A government website goes on to say “this is not just talk.” It points out that the government and the union concluded labour agreements that enshrine this right and they are developing policies to further entrench it.

The survey conducted between May 29 and June 27, 2017 was sent to 15,398 union members. It found 53 per cent felt they could not speak freely and without constraint about their work. That was down from 90 per cent of scientists polled in 2013 but still “unacceptable,” in the view of union leader Debi Daviau.

Managers were said to be an obstacle

The government says it recently appointed a new chief science advisor who has been asked to “actively encourage federal researchers to share their results with confidence and pride.”

There is no mention of changes to whistleblower protections, which is something a majority of respondents had said would help. A report that accompanied the survey suggested that respondents felt managers were an obstacle to their freedom to speak about their work. After its release, the science minister said culture change takes time but she is working on it.