Canadian Immigration Life: Canada's new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, took office on November 4. As one of his first acts in office, he established the position of Minister of Science.
Kirsty Duncan, a medical geographer from the University of Toronto, will become the first Minister of Science. Duncan co-authored a report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2001 and has also published books on her 1918 expedition to Norway to investigate the cause of the Spanish flu.
Duncan's appointment marks a significant shift in Canadian scientific research compared to the administration of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Previously, the Harper government had a Minister of State for Science and Technology within the Ministry of Industry oversee science.
"Harper placed the science portfolio under the industry portfolio, which led to a massive decline in basic science and public-interest scientific research in Canada," said Carol Linnitt, an environmental policy expert at the Vancouver-based non-profit organization DeSmog Canada.
Scientists and research institutions have expressed genuine pleasure at Duncan's appointment, though they hope to learn more about the specific responsibilities of the Minister of Science. "This is a real Minister of Science! And a scientist with a PhD!" said Marc Saner, former director of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa.
Meanwhile, Trudeau also appointed financial analyst Navdeep Bains as Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. "Now, you could say we have two ministers responsible for science," said Rees Kassen, a biologist at the University of Ottawa. He speculates that Duncan might be responsible for ensuring that government-led research does not overlap with universities and businesses, while Bains might be responsible for technological innovation in the private sector.
In addition, Trudeau may have nominated an Environment Minister, a position that may be renamed Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The new minister, Catherine McKenna, is a lawyer whose previous work focused primarily on WorldWay, investment, and constitutional issues.