[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Why didn't he just go through the appropriate channels to talk about this initiative? Seems innocent enough, I'm sure it'd have been vetted and cleared in a day.

This is complete conjecture on your part and is in no way accurate. This is just what you want to believe. "i'm sure it'd have been vetted and cleared in a day" is made up nonsense that you are choosing to believe to paint things as being standard operating procedure.

Here's an example of the actual procedure for an actual scientist looking to share their actual research with actual media:

In one instance from 2014, a request from The Canadian Press to speak to federal government scientist Max Bothwell about his work on algae led to a 110-page email exchange to and from 16 different federal government communications officers.

In the end, Bothwell was not interviewed before the Canadian Press article was published.

A 2014 study of media policies from 16 federal departments concluded that current policies place far more restrictions on Canadian scientists when it comes to talking to media than is the case with their U.S. counterparts.

There have also been reports of restrictions on scientists being able to travel to conferences to share their results. Some international scientists have also voiced concerns that working with Canadian scientists will affect their own ability to speak freely about research results.

Originally Posted by Regorium

There are uneducated people within civil service as well. I apply this equally across the entire spectrum. Just as you (and I) would be frustrated if an official government scientist came out with a report that states that climate change is fake. I feel like results being vetted (vetted is not the same as changed or faked) prior to public consumption is completely normal.

Is it normal to completely deny scientists from discussing their work with the Canadian media?

In 2010, Natural Resources Canada scientist Scott Dallimore was not allowed to talk about research into a flood in northern Canada 13,000 years ago without getting pre-approval from political staff in the office of then-Natural Resources minister Christian Paradis. Postmedia News said requests were only approved after reporters' deadlines had already passed.

In 2011, Department of Fisheries and Oceans scientist Kristina Miller was blocked from speaking to the media about her research suggesting viral infections may be linked to higher salmon mortality.

Environment Canada's media office granted no interviews after a team published a paper in 2011 concluding that a 2 degree C increase in global temperatures may be unavoidable by 2100.

Postmedia science reporter Margaret Munro requested data from radiation monitors run by Health Canada following the earthquake and nuclear plant problems in Japan. Munro said Health Canada would not approve an interview with one of its experts responsible for the detectors.

Originally Posted by Regorium

As an aside, the arrogance I'm feeling from calling yourself the intellectual class, and how you've so selflessly dedicated your life to pursue truth is palpable. Newsflash: Scientists are human beings, with human flaws, like being subject to bias based on personal beliefs.

This is a demonstration that you don't understand how science works.

Originally Posted by Regorium

And seriously, if anti-CPC ideas were so oppressed, would we be seeing a majority Liberal government? Wouldn't we be seeing a CPC majority with 140% of the popular vote?

Interesting that you view opinions based on science to be 'anti-CPC ideas', which is basically the crux of my entire point. CPC Ideology is opposed to scientific inquiry because it conflicts with said ideology.