And The Muzzling Continues...

Once upon a time in Tory-la-la-land, John Baird had nothing but praise for economist Mark Jaccard. Baird hailed Jaccard as one of "Canada's best economists outside of government" and made sure that Jaccard got a sole source contract to “provide the minister’s office with strategic advice on proposed environmental changes.”

But that's where this love story ends, because the trouble was that Jaccard didn’t tell Baird exactly what he wanted to hear—and that’s not something Baird takes kindly to.

What Harper’s EcoFraud lap dog neglected to consider was that an expert described by Baird’s office as “one of Canada’s pre-eminent policy advisors in the area of climate change” just might be able to see his environmental plan for what it truly was: toxic smoke and mirrors.

So, Baird acted swiftly and quickly to do what has become a fan favourite tactic of this government: muzzle the dissenters. After giving Jaccard an all expense paid trip to Ottawa from Vancouver in order to present his findings in front of the House of Commons’ Environment Committee, Baird made sure that he never got the chance to speak. Baird put petty politics in front of the taxpayer’s dollar.

Baird’s tangled web of muzzlry is typical of this government. To them, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a venerated academic in the public service or a Conservative MP just dying to bring the party’s hidden agenda out into the open -- If you disagree, you’ll never be heard from again.