B.C. scientist booted over refusal to use 'new government'

[applegrove]

B.C. scientist booted over refusal to use 'new government'
Last Updated: Monday, September 18, 2006 | 9:10 PM ET
CBC News

"A British Columbia man says he's been dumped from his role as scientist emeritus with the Geological Survey of Canada for refusing to refer to the federal government as "the new government of Canada."

Dr. Andrew Okulitch told CBC News on Monday that it all began Sept. 5, when his Earth sciences sector on Salt Spring Island received an e-mail from Natural Resources Canada advising employees to use the "new government" phrase in all departmental correspondence.

Another person who works at Natural Resources Canada told CBC.ca that employees have been directed to use the phrase "Canada's New Government," with all three words capitalized.

When he received the Sept. 5 e-mail, Okulitch said he immediately fired off a reply to its sender and all the other recipients.

....SNIP"

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/09/18/okulitch-scientist.html

[angstlessk]

1. Has rove been in Canada? seems like some tactic he would use?

Machiavelli is running rampant all over the globe, I suppose?

[applegrove]

2. There is an Australian political Machiavelli who ran the Neo Government's

last campaign and won a minority for the Neo Government of Canada (conservatives under Harper). And they've been using discipline & bullying ever since. They now have a list for reporters who want to ask questions. I pray there is no natural disaster in Canada that would look like an opportunity for social engineering for the NeoCon Government of Canada. The neocons already had power in Ontario..and the way the punished the poor for being poor on a hoped up time-line for Welfare reform was terrible. And just like with Katrina..they somehow didn't impress many in Ontario for acting that way.

I just hope and pray that no hurricane smashes into the Atlantic Business Opportunities Agency...

Oh wait! I speak too soon!!! They've already undone Kyoto as the Arctic melts away and the last surviving big game in the north starts to die off. Oh - yes..they seem to have undone the agreement the last government made with aboriginal groups... an accord to really fight poverty finally.

I spoke too soon.

[TrogL]

3. He's been reinstated

The Minister in charge claims the memo was for his office use only and did not affect workers at this scientist's level. Yeah, right.

[applegrove]

4. Good. At least one person has a job they were good at. I wonder.

There really must be an election coming this fall - way before the Liberals have finished their campaign for a new leader.

There must be an election coming. Why else would the turkeys hold onto someone qualified and not a patsy?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Which doesn't explain why the man was sacked

If it was meant for "his office" - presumably meaning political appointees - then when the scientist wrote his email, the reply would have been "oops, that wasn't meant to go to you, ignore it, it's for us political types". Sacking him shows they were serious about it - until everyone must have told them (a) you can't sack someone for that (b) it's a bloody stupid idea too.

From a union site, about what the scientist actually said:

Andrew Okulitch of the Geological Survey of Canada was sacked after sending an e-mail to colleagues criticizing the directive. Calling it "ridiculous" and "embarrassing," Okulitch vowed to boycott the use of "idiotic buzzwords coined by political hacks."
...
The Salt Spring Island, B.C., man had completed a 35-year career as a senior scientist with the government. He was continuing to work without pay in an office provided (for up to three years) to employees in specialized fields, allowing them to complete work left unfinished at retirement.

Okulitch's sacking backfired on the government when it became public. The partisan directive clashed with the official Harper rhetoric of a new era in politics, and the 'new government' retreated.

Deputy minister Cassie Doyle called Okulitch at his home this week, inviting him to come back to work. However, he has been instructed to apologize for the tone of his e-mail.

http://www.nupge.ca/news_2006/n21se06a.htm

OK, the tone wasn't the best for someone who has to work with others; but Okulitch was right, and the idiots should have realised that before they sent out the mail.