BC FORUM News - from The Advocate, October, 2014

Why is Stephen Harper so afraid?

By Soren Bech Editor, The Advocate

The Harper government likes to keep things simple. It prefers populist slogans to debate. It reduces complex multi-faceted issues to black and white talking points. It steadfastly ignores research and reports, even from government agencies, on issues ranging from pensions to the environment.

As we learned at the time of the Northern Gateway pipeline hearings, this government keeps a list of enemies – which seems to include everyone who dares to disagree with its ideology. It doesn’t hesitate to use the powers of state to silence them.

Scores of federally employed scientists have been fired. Those who remain have been muzzled, forbidden to speak to the media. Research stations have been closed, lest they uncover inconvenient truths.

Now the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) auditors have been unleashed to do the government’s dirty work.

Back in 2012, Harper set up a $13.4 million program to audit and harass registered charities that speak out on public issues.

The first audits targeted environmental groups that have criticized government’s energy and pipeline policies.

The government is now auditing 52 groups for “political activity.”

The current wave includes poverty, international aid, human rights groups, and one think-tank – the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

There’s no sign of an audit of the Fraser Institute, the business sponsored group which tends to support far-right laissez-fair policies.

It is a clear attempt to silence those who criticize where Harper is taking the country.

Since these groups usually have scarce resources, they cannot afford to pay huge legal bills. The result is self-censorship to avoid aggravating the government and its auditors.

“Since October 2013, we have been forced to divert resources from our policy work in order to comply with the most intrusive audit we have ever experienced – and there’s no end in sight,” says Seth Klein, BC Director of the CCPA.

Close to 500 academics have now signed an open letter accusing the Harper government of trying to intimidate and silence its critics.

“The CCPA is an internationallyrecognized and respected research centre, built on a solid tradition of critical analysis,” says the letter.

“Indeed, the CCPA plays a vital role by supplying much needed reflection on a number of policies, which it has always done in a fair and unbiased way, and which respects the fundamental tools of sound research....

“It may reach a different set of conclusions from those of the government, but then that is allowed in a free-thinking democratic country. On the contrary, we would argue, that such dissent should be encouraged and not stifled by such actions of the CRA.

“If there is bias, the bias seems to be mostly in the CRA’s decision to audit the CCPA and apparently no other think tanks.... We are therefore left with the conclusion that the decision to audit the CCPA is politically motivated to intimidate and silence its criticism of your government’s policies,” they write.

Klein called the letter “a stunning show of solidarity.” “We are concerned about what the audits mean for the future – not just for our own work, but for open discourse in this country.

“We are incredibly grateful for this show of support from the academic community. It was unexpected, and such a pleasant surprise,” he said.

“With people like this standing up for the future of open democratic debate, we’re confident that we’ll get through these tough times.”

You can help the CCPA, and strengthen Canada’s leading progressive think tank, by making a donation at www.policyalternatives.ca.

There is nothing the Harper government fears more than informed public opinion.