Looking through the standard national media sites I found only
one article about Canadian science and technology policy. The CBC article essentially asks the same thing I am asking - where is the public debate or discussion?
The Liberals are showing steady increases to NSERC; the Green Party would invest in "green" technology and remove funding to the oil industry. But I would like to hear how the Conservatives justify the elimination of the National Science Advisor earlier this year. Who is advising the PM? Maybe Stockwell Day who thinks humans lived with dinosaurs within the last few thousand years? Mr. Harper and other cabinet members seem to follow the George Bush school of anti-science. While
22% of Canadians polled believe "God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years," is it really too much to ask for our elected officials to have a better education?
Our economy isn't going to make it too far into the 21st century unless we have a more science-literate population. And that requires appropriate political understanding and foresight. The natural resource extraction industries which were the foundation of Canada need to be eclipsed by value added industries that will require substantial understanding of science and technology by the workforce and by politicians.
