Maude Barlow, national chair of the Council of Canadians, which helped promote the July 10 Parliament Hill rally along with many other organizations, said the recent protests by scientists and doctors are be a sign that public opinion is turning against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) Conservative government.
“I feel the tide has turned for the Harper government,” Ms. Barlow said in an interview with The Hill Times this week. “They’ve bullied too much, they’ve taken on too many groups, they've acted as if having this majority gave them the right to do things they never campaigned on.”
The doctors and scientists have become the two latest groups to join in the public opposition to the policies of the Harper government, and their public demonstrations have come to define the current political climate in Canada.
Members of Canadian Doctors For Refugee Care continued to protest IFHP cuts this week, holding demonstrations at events by Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq (Nunavut) in Hamilton and Environment Minister Peter Kent (Thornhill, Ont.) in Delta, B.C. on July 18.
On July 10, nearly 2,000 activists, students, and scientists wearing white lab coats marched on Parliament Hill to protest the “death of evidence” that has resulted from the federal government muzzling its scientists and cutting funding for important federal research programs, such as the Experimental Lakes program.
Conservative pundit Tim Powers, who serves as vice-president of communications for Summa Strategies, was skeptical of effectiveness of the strategies being taken by doctors and scientists in opposing the government. He went as far as to describe the “Death of Evidence” rally as “just plain dumb.”
“Aren’t these supposed to be the smartest people in the land? Were they not smart enough to figure out that there are no Parliamentarians here in the summer,” Mr. Powers said.
Mr. Powers added that Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care also risked de-legitimizing themselves by disrupting official public events.
“If you’re trying to make an argument about the importance of science, to behave in the manner of a partisan heckler doesn’t really advance your case,” said Mr. Powers. “If you have the brain power that these people should have, you’ve got to do it in a more creative way.”
Members of Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care do not seem concerned with losing credibility, however.
Dr. Megan Williams, who serves as medical director for the Catholic Immigration Centre of Ottawa, and recently confronted Ms. Aglukkaq over the IFHP changes following a recent press conference at Ottawa Hospital, said that she has received messages of encouragement from patients, colleagues and Canadians across the country.
“I think its had the opposite effect. Patients and the public, in general, are happy to see doctors speaking up about something that’s so important,” said Dr. Williams, who admitted that the recent political mobilization is out of character for her profession.
“This isn’t something we generally do. We don’t organize ourselves across the nation, and we don't often come together to speak out, interrupt ministers and have rallies on Parliament,” Dr. Williams said. “I think there's some credibility given that it's a group of professionals, not just physicians, who have been really involved in fighting for this.”
Dr. Williams said that while it was important to influence public opinion, her organization is really after a formal discussion with federal officials.
“What we really want at the end of the day is an opportunity to have a discussion with Minister Kenney and Citizenship and Immigration about what this means and what we think might be reasonable,” Dr. Williams said. “We're still requesting a full reversal of the cuts and we'll continue to push for that opportunity for a dialogue.”
Physicians affiliated with the group Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care started to gain media attention after confronting Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver (Eglinton-Lawrence, Ont.) during a press conference at Toronto General Hospital on June 22, where Dr. Chris Keefer vowed that federal ministers would continue to be disrupted “by Canadian doctors across this country.”
The group is challenging a recent order in council that cut health benefits for certain classifications of refugees in Canada. As of June 30, coverage for eye care and dental care was eliminated, and pharmaceutical coverage was limited to illnesses that pose a risk to public health and safety. Pharmaceutical coverage for illnesses that don’t pose a public health risk, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, was also discontinued.
On Friday, June 29, one day prior to the changes taking effect, CIC’s website was changed to exclude government assisted-refugees (GARs) from the IFHP cuts. CIC initially denied that there were any last-minute changes to the IFHP reforms, and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, Alta.) said that the language had been modified to “clarify” the criteria for the new IFHP, and has denied that the changes were in response to public pressure.
Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care dismissed the government’s apparent about-face on some of the IFHP cuts as “too little too late,” and members of the ad hoc activist physician network have continued to confront federal ministers, including Ms. Aglukkaq, Minister of State for Sport Bal Gosal (Bramalea-Gore-Malton, Ont.), and Mr. Kenney over the cuts at public events.
“There have been huge changes such that government scientists can't speak to Canadians unless they have ministerial permission to do so,” said Dalhousie biology professor Jeffrey Hutchings, who spoke at the Parliament Hill rally. “In a broad sense changes to the Fisheries Act and other pieces of legislation signal a clear intent to put economic development first and foremost at all costs, and to devalue science and the importance of scientific advice within government.”
The Council of Canadians, a progressive public interest group, has been working with Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care in coordinating their public awareness campaign.
The council also participated in the BlackOut/SpeakOut campaign, which saw hundreds of websites, including those for NDP, Liberal and Green parties, blacked out on June 4 to protest changes to environmental laws contained in Bill C-38, the government’s omnibus budget implementation act that passed on June 29.
Ms. Barlow said that the recent political activity by doctors and scientists gives “depth and legitimacy” to organizations that were already opposed to the government's agenda. The Council of Canadians is preparing for a fall summit that will bring together traditionally progressive movements such as labour and environment with new activist groups in the scientific and medical communities.
“I think it brings a broader focus to our movement, and our network, that we’re building to sink the Harper agenda,” Ms. Barlow said. “It’s going to bring authenticity, too, because it’s very important that Canadians look at the broad coalition coming together to fight the Harper agenda, and they see themselves there.”
Original Article
Source: hill times
Author: Chris Plecash
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