Tag Archives: science

Because that’s the job

PolyWogg.ca
November 1 2015

I’d really like to call this post something else, but it’s time I stopped holding back on what some people think is their God-given right to complain about how they think the public servant’s job should be done, and that all public servants will “obviously” agree. What triggered my lack of inhibition? Johanna Read’s incredibly biased and non-factual article in today’s Ottawa Citizen (Read: Trudeau is ready but the public service isn’t).

Let’s break her argument down, because there are very few points I can agree with as a career civil servant.

  1. Public service has been cut too far;
  2. Public service is gagged and under-utilized i.e. “scientists”;
  3. Public service is demoralized by previous government;
  4. Accountability measures created by civil servants pushed decision-making upward;
  5. Core business is fearless policy advice;
  6. Challenges in loyally implementing decisions;
  7. Public service values in treating each other are lower;
  8. No market for advice under previous Prime Minister;
  9. Public service policy is now about power games, cliques, and close-mindedness due to empire-building;
  10. Therefore public service is not ready as capacity has been weakened and need management agenda for culture change, including new values, new attitudes, new behaviours.

Not all scientists are created equal

Let’s start with the second one first — scientists are gagged.… Read the rest

Articles I Like: Muzzling government scientists

PolyWogg.ca
April 2 2013

Most people who know me might think that since I have a pretty strong view about what limitations on freedom of speech look like and don’t look like for government workers, and that I even blog about stuff related to government, I would likely tilt against the current windmill of supposed Government censorship or muzzling of “scientists”, as the argument is aptly captured in the press (Information watchdog to investigate policies that ‘muzzle’ government scientists | CTV News.)

The argument from other windmill-tilters is pretty straight forward:

  1. Science is pure, non-political
  2. Science research by the government is paid for by taxpayers
  3. Taxpayers should have access to science research they paid for
  4. Ergo, government scientists should always be able to talk to the press and all research reports should be readily available.

Well, let’s look at those premises a bit more closely.

Science is pure and non-political? Actually, it is not and never has been. What a scientist chooses to study and what they decide is relevant or significant is as fraught with a personal subjective choice as any field of endeavour. It’s why they teach courses like “researcher bias” for scientists and “policy myopia” for policy wonks. This is totally separate too from the internal politics of any organization, non-governmental or governmental, that researchers think their work is the most important and that they should be fully funded, no reason to budget or conserve resources or fund-raise.… Read the rest