Legault is responding to a detailed complaint lodged by the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria and the ethics advocacy group Democracy Watch.
Their lengthy report – “Muzzling Civil Servants: A Threat to Democracy?” – laid out repeated examples of taxpayer-funded science being suppressed or limited to pre-packaged media lines across six different government departments and agencies.
In a letter to the complainants, the commissioner’s office noted she is required under the Access to Information Act to investigate any matter related to obtaining or requesting records.
The complaint alleges that by keeping government scientists from speaking out about their work, the public is denied the chance to request records – because no one is ever made aware they exist in the first place.
Information watchdog to investigate ‘muzzling’ of government scientists - The Globe and Mail
Will be interesting if this changes anything. I am sure there are reports that we would need to read.
Their lengthy report – “Muzzling Civil Servants: A Threat to Democracy?” – laid out repeated examples of taxpayer-funded science being suppressed or limited to pre-packaged media lines across six different government departments and agencies.
In a letter to the complainants, the commissioner’s office noted she is required under the Access to Information Act to investigate any matter related to obtaining or requesting records.
The complaint alleges that by keeping government scientists from speaking out about their work, the public is denied the chance to request records – because no one is ever made aware they exist in the first place.
Information watchdog to investigate ‘muzzling’ of government scientists - The Globe and Mail
Will be interesting if this changes anything. I am sure there are reports that we would need to read.
