While it’s premature to judge the wisdom of the government’s S&T-related Cabinet appointments, the selection of MP Greg Rickford as the new junior minister of state for science and technology will likely do little to raise the profile of research and innovation.
The little-known backbencher representing the riding of Kenora ON follows the five-year term of Dr Gary Goodyear who, upon his appointment in 2008 said, “We need to get a real serious focus on S&T and make it equal to all other ministries”.
We all know how that panned out. A seemingly endless flow of reports and expert panels give Canada poor grades when it comes to innovation and business R&D performance. Statistics Canada reports that federal funding of S&T will shrink 3.3% this fiscal year, the fourth straight annual decline.
Rickford’s only notable connection to S&T to date has been his views on the Experimental Lakes Area research station. In 2009 he praised its significance and accomplishments when it received $1 million in economic stimulus funding, only to vote for its defunding in 2012. And while the government appears to have found a new operator (International Institute for Sustainable Development) and funder (Ontario government) Rickford’s vacillation is concerning.
James Moore’s appointment as Industry minister could produce some tangible benefits, particularly following the lackluster performance of his predecessor Christian Paradis. Overall, however, the treatment of S&T as a glorified afterthought appears unlikely to change.
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