Sludge Watch ==> Canada - Harper Gov't shifting public policy research into private hands

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

We have certainly been seeing this in the area of fertilizers in Canada.  
The federal government gave the Fertilizer industry over $706,000 to make 
recommendations on how to 'streamline' Canada's fertilizer regulations.  So 
now have taxpayers money handed to the private sector - including American 
corporations - to take a run at the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) 
regulations.

And yes, there is Miloraganite, shameless despite its recent massive 
contamination of public parks and school grounds with PCBs....asking the 
various consultation committees to tell the Federal Gov't to ease up on 
metals regulations in fertilizer.

Normally federal consultation programs have a component that allows for the 
participation of the environmental non governmental sector.  Despite being 
given nearly a million dollars to play with, the Fertilizer consultation has 
provided zero resources for the participation of environmental association 
input.

The budget cuts to CFIA already compromise the agency's ability to conduct 
the necessary inspections to manage feed and fertilizer safety.
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The Harper Index

for links and images see http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=0091

Cuts "disheartening" as public policy research shifts quietly into private 
hands

Science role of federal government diminished - something brewing at 
Environment Canada?

Treasury Board President Vic Toews told federal departments to cut five 
percent - victoews.com

OTTAWA, September 13, 2007:

The federal government may be quietly privatizing and out-sourcing basic 
research needed for public policy and safety.

Federal science staff have been laid off as a result last March's federal 
budget, and 17 federal departments and agencies have been told to slice five 
percent of expenditures, according to the association that represents 
federal professionals. Last week, for instance, came news that the National 
Research Council is laying off 105 employees at 14 institutions across 
Canada.

"We are quite concerned about the recurring theme of expenditure review," 
said Michèle Demers, President of the Professional Institute of the Public 
Service of Canada (PIPSC). "This is not new. It was something we were 
seriously affected by with previous government, but it is more up front and 
centre on the radar screen" with the current government. Along with the 
research council layoff, she says she is "hearing rumours that something is 
brewing at Environment Canada. With the bad press the government is having 
on environmental issues, you'd think that would be the last place for a 
bunch of cuts."

She says public servants are "being asked to do more with less and be more 
efficient, but we have no more room to maneuver other than cutting programs 
or doing half-assed jobs."

She sees the push for cuts as part of a privatization trend that includes 
the recent sale of nine federal properties to private interests - an attempt 
to get private and university laboratories to do research that properly 
should be done be government scientists.

In August Treasury Board President Vic Toews announced the creation of an 
independent expert panel "to provide advice on transferring federal non- 
regulatory laboratories, including a range of different management options." 
Toews said in a news release, "I have asked this panel to advise the 
government on different options for managing non-regulatory federal 
laboratories so that Canada benefits from a strong and collaborative science 
and technology sector."

Five federal labs have been identified by the panel for possible closure, 
says Demers. "Is this just the tip of the iceberg?" She asks. "There is a 
lot of concern and worry about where this government is going in terms of 
increasing cash flow for other priorities. You do not need a rocket 
scientist to figure out where their other priorities are," she said, 
indicating she meant the military.

She supports partnerships with scientists from universities and the 
corporate world, but "To hand over the responsibility and the accountability 
to the private sector which does not have a mandate to develop public 
policies is not acceptable."

Demers said the cutbacks have become "disheartening" to many federal 
scientists. Last week her Institute held an "extraordinary" international 
symposium on the role of public science. She said that compared with their 
international colleagues, Canadian federal public scientists "are being 
limited almost to inaction because of lack of vision for public science and 
programs." She says her members feel their funding is going to the private 
sector "to the detriment of scientists working for the public."

On August 31, the Globe and Mail reported that federal departments and 
agencies are being told to reallocate five percent of expenditures away from 
"lowest-priority or lowest-performing" projects. Depeartments are being told 
that if the Cabinet can find better ways to spend the money, the department 
will lose this percentage of their funding altogether. This is a twist on 
the expenditure review announced in the 2007 federal budget, which did not 
mention the five percent reduction target. Slated for review this year are 
Canada Revenue Agency, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian Heritage, 
Canadian International Development Agency, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 
Canadian Museum of Nature, Finance Canada, Canadian International Trade 
Tribunal, Financial Transaction and Reports Analysis, Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade, International Development Research Centre, Library and 
Archives Canada, National Gallery of Canada, National Museum of Science and 
Technology, Parks Canada, Statistics Canada and Transport Canada. According 
to the Globe article, "The opposition says the structure of the plan 
suggests the programs that will be cut are those that don't mesh with 
Conservative ideology."

Related individuals, organizations and significant events
Privatizing federal buildings a "sweet deal" for new owners
Privatization - Harper Conservatives quietly eye options

Harper Conservative vs. Public Values Frame
Lowest-performing / Stop political favouritism
Out-sourcing / Public responsibility
Collaborative science sector / Quiet privatization

Links and sources
PIPSC's Symposium Seeks Answers on the Role of Public Science, Marketwire, 
September 06, 2007
18 local scientists among 105 laid off by NRC, The Halifax Daily News, 
September 07, 2007
News release: Canada's New Government announces independent expert panel on 
federal laboratories, August 13, 2007
Ottawa tells federal bodies to review spending, Globe and Mail, August 31, 
2007

Posted: September 13, 2007

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