The recent release of a new survey of provincial government scientists in British Columbia draws some disturbing conclusions that will be all too familiar to many of our federal science members.
The report, titled “Oversight at Risk: The State of Government Science in British Columbia,” was prepared by Evidence for Democracy and found, says the Professional Employees Association which represents provincial scientists, that “since 2001 ... B.C.’s public service has been reduced to the smallest per capita in Canada. Departments with science-based mandates have been particularly hard hit with a 25 per cent reduction in staff-scientists and licensed-expert positions in the past decade.”
What’s more “almost half (49 per cent) feel that political interference is compromising their ministry’s ability to develop laws, policies and programs based on scientific evidence, and only 48 per cent feel free to share their research findings with the public via the media.”
Professional concerns over the defunding and muzzling of scientists’ work aren't restricted to either federal or U.S. scientists, as this latest survey of B.C. government scientists shows. Science and innovation are our collective future and, like democracy, cannot thrive in a world of endless budget cuts or avoidance of real world challenges such as climate change. As our own survey of federal scientists four years ago concluded, the cutbacks of previous governments will have a crippling impact on our ability to address urgent public health, safety and environmental issues in the future. Investment in public science and protection of scientists’ freedom to speak are therefore essential.
With a provincial election now scheduled for May 9, the next few weeks present a significant opportunity to raise these concerns. I therefore encourage all PIPSC members in B.C. to help our colleagues with the Professional Employees Association in getting out the message to friends, family and neighbours that protection of public science matters in B.C.
Better Together!
Debi Daviau
President