Canadian researchers demand end to political interference

Two can play at this game, it seems.

Medical researchers and scientists upset by the "politicization of science" in Canada have decided to turn the tables by interjecting themselves into the political scene as the October 14 federal election draws near.

A petition protesting the "recent mistreatment" of scientific research will be sent to all major federal political party leaders in the coming days, Canadian Medicine has learned.

The petition was drafted by a group of doctors and researchers that has routinely butted heads with Stephen Harper's Conservative government over the last two and a half years: Julio Montaner (above), Thomas Kerr and Evan Wood.

Dr Montaner has become an academic of worldwide renown as the recently appointed president of the International AIDS Society. The three men are all professors of medicine at the University of British Columbia, but they are best known for their roles at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, which under their leadership has produced some of the world's top medical research on supervised-injection sites, focusing largely on the downtown Vancouver facility Insite.

Insite has served as a flashpoint for the conflict between the Conservative government and scientists. Despite overwhelming evidence of Insite's benefits, the government withdrew funding and then fought a battle in court earlier this year to attempt to establish jurisdiction over the project so that it could shut it down. The attempt failed when a BC judge ruled that the federal government was not within its rights. Soon after that, Health Minister Tony Clement -- who asked the attorney general to appeal the BC decision -- went on the offensive, drawing considerable opposition from the medical community when he questioned the ethics of physicians who support supervised-injection.

The conflict over Insite is not the only complaint the petition mentions. Others include:

• "the closing of the office of the National Science Advisor"
• "the misrepresentation of climate change science"
• "the muzzling of Environment Canada scientists"
• "the political appointments to the Board of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada"
• "the cuts to and reorganizing of the Canadian Wildlife Service"
• "the halting of the Prison-based Tattoo Pilot Study"

In a letter dated October 6, addressed to "friends and colleagues," Drs Montaner, Kerr and Wood write:

In light of our concerns we have prepared a letter addressed to the leaders of the federal political parties and have asked them to make clear the action they are prepared to take to end the politicization of science in Canada. We are inviting you to become a signatory to this letter. We will send this letter to all major media outlets in the coming days.

If you would like to become a signatory to this letter, please notify us at your earliest convenience by emailing us at uhri@cfenet.ubc.ca or by calling 604-806-9142.

The full text of the as-yet-unreleased petition reads as follows:

October 6, 2008

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada

The Honourable Stéphane Dion, PC, MP
Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition

Mr. Gilles Duceppe, MP
Leader of the Bloc Québécois

Mr. Jack Layton, MP
Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

Ms. Elizabeth May
Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Re: The Politicization of Science in Canada

Dear Sirs and Madam:

We are a group of concerned scientists writing to call for the end to the politicization of science and related due processes in Canada. Below we highlight some recent examples of the mistreatment of science in Canada:

• The closing of the Office of the National Science Advisor 1
• The misrepresentation of climate change science 1, 2
• The muzzling of Environment Canada scientists 3 4
• The cuts to and reorganizing of the Canadian Wildlife Service 5
• The political appointments to the board of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada 6
• The halting of the Prison Tattoo Pilot Study and the suppression of the results of this study 7
• The firing of the Head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission 8
• The suppression and misrepresentation of research related to Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site 9-11

The above represent blatant examples of instances when:

• Systems developed to provide non-partisan scientific advice were undermined, interfered with, or dismantled for political reasons;
• Science was interrupted, suppressed and distorted for political reasons;
• Scientific uncertainty was manufactured in instances where none existed;
• Reputable scientists were attacked because the results of their work were unpopular or inconsistent with the views of political parties;

While science is not the only factor to be considered in political decision-making, ignoring and subverting science and scientific processes is unacceptable. In light of these concerns, we are calling on all political leaders to articulate how they will work to improve Canada’s track record with respect to the treatment of science and related due processes.

Yours truly,

Canadian Scientists Against the Politicization of Science

Encl.: Name List of Signatories


References:

1. Science in retreat. Nature 2008;451(7181):866.
2. Smith C. Climate scientist claims Stephen Harper's government has muzzled experts. The Georgia Straight 2008 September 25th, 2008.
3. Munro M. Environment Canada scientist told to toe the line. National Post 2008 January 31, 2008.
4. CBC News. Minister stops book talk by Environment Canada Scientist. 2006 April 6, 2006.
5. Reuters. Canada slashes spending on wildlife protection: CBC. 2007 September 19th, 2007.
6. Hebert PC, Attaran A. A plea for transparency in Canada's "new government". CMAJ 2007;176(5):601, 603.
7. Kondro W. Prison tattoo program wasn't given enough time. CMAJ 2007;176(3):307-8.
8. Curry B. Fired watchdog quits nuclear board. Globe and Mail 2008 September 23, 2008.
9. Wood E, Kerr T, Tyndall MW, Montaner JS. The Canadian government's treatment of scientific process and evidence: inside the evaluation of North America's first supervised injecting facility. Int J Drug Policy 2008;19(3):220-5.
10. Wodak A. Going soft on evidence and due process: Canada adopts US style harm maximization. Int J Drug Policy 2008;19(3):226-8; discussion 233-4.
11. Kerr T, Wood E. Misrepresentation of science undermines HIV prevention. CMAJ 2008;178(7):964.

Update, October 9: The petition has been officially released, including the full list of 85 signatories. You can check it out here (PDF).

FURTHER READING
"Harper's new Anti-Drug Strategy is not anti-HIV," Montaner, Kerr, Wood, and Kora DeBeck, National Review of Medicine opinion, September 15, 2007

"Conservatives still spurning science, say addiction and AIDS researchers," Canadian Medicine blog, February 25, 2008

"'Doctors, get tough on drugs': Tony Clement: Minister's mind made up on safe injection sites, warn experts," National Review of Medicine, September 15, 2007

"Insite decision's aftershocks shake Ottawa," Canadian Medicine blog, May 30, 2008

"Tony Clement takes flak for calling doctors' support of harm reduction 'unethical'," Canadian Medicine blog, August 19, 2008

"Reproduction agency appointments spark controversy: Rising din of political wrangling threatens to drown out medical concerns," National Review of Medicine, January 30, 2007

Also, McGill communications professor Darin Barney, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Technology and Citizenship, is working on an ongoing project to track the "subordination of scientific and technological development to political judgment and interests" by what he calls the government's group of "neo-conservatives."


Photo: BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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