| Focal Point Canada – the S&T Policy of the United States’ Northern Neighbor |
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bridges vol. 21, April 2009 / Feature Articles By Caroline Adenberger It has been exactly five years since bridges' last in-depth report on S&T policy in Canada in its 2004 article "Science & Technology Policy North of the Niagara Falls ." Meanwhile, much has changed: Two years after the article, in the federal elections of 2006, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper defeated then-Prime Minister Paul Martin and formed a minority government, putting an end to more than 12 years of liberal rule. With the new conservative government came also changes for Canadian S&T policy: The position of the independent, nonpartisan advisor to the prime minister on science and technology, introduced in 2004, was abolished in January 2008 after the Harper administration formed an 18-member Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC) in 2007. With the formation of the STIC, the position of the science advisor obviously became obsolete. Interestingly, though, immediately after the elections in 2006 Harper had already moved Arthur Carty, a chemist by training and previous president of the National Research Council Canada who was appointed first Canadian S&T advisor, from the prime minister's office to office space located at Industry Canada; there he reported to the minister of industry instead of reporting directly to the prime minister. However, it should be clarified that, from the very start, success for the S&T advisor's office was rather unlikely due to a poorly defined mandate and - as so often with such appointments - because the funding made available was inadequate for the operations of such an office. Carter's budget, including salaries, is said to have been only Can $1 million, and with no permanent staff to support him with his tasks until his third year on the job. Now the STIC has taken over providing policy advice to the government and reporting on Canada's S&T performance. Some say that having an 18-member council provides even better advice than a single person, especially since many members of the STIC are renowned scientists and entrepreneurs. Others, however, have aired their fear that the council lacks independence and even objectivity in its advice, since government administrators occupy several seats on the council. According to an article in Nature magazine published last December, many Canadian scientists have complained about the way science has been treated under Harper. In the lead-up to the October 2008 election, they rallied against the Conservative government by issuing two letters of protest. One called for politicians to crack down on greenhouse-gas emissions, the other for an end to the mistreatment and politicization of science. "While science is not the only factor to be considered in political decision making, ignoring and subverting science and scientific processes is unacceptable," said the October 8 letter, which was signed by 85 scientists and addressed to the five party leaders. Access to the full article is free, but requires you to register. Registration is simple and quick – all we need is your name and a valid e-mail address. We appreciate your interest in bridges. |
