Preston Manning as Science Advisor?
The Conservative government has appointed Preston Manning, the founder of the Reform party, to the federal science advisory panel.
Manning joins the Council of Canadian Academies, whose mandate is to provide an "independent, expert assessment of the science underlying pressing issues and matters of public interest," according to its website.
The group is supposed to "build public confidence that policy and regulatory decisions are being based on broadly accepted scientific knowledge and evidence."
Now I've always kind of liked Preston Manning. Back when he was running the Reform Party, I was a supporter and he always seemed a fair bit more rational and honest than most politicians. (Then Stockwell "The Flintstones is a documentary" Day took over, and the whole Canadian right started going to hell.) That said, he has no business being a science advisor. There is little chance of his "advice" being anything but political in nature.
