Winds of change are blowing in Canada. The Liberal party has surged to victory in the general election, winning a majority in parliament.
The result brings an end to 10 years of rule by the Conservative party, which drew criticism for its policies on science and the environment, most notably for muzzling publicly funded scientists and pulling out of the Kyoto protocol in 2011 as part of a rollback on climate action.
New prime minister Justin Trudeau has promised to let scientists speak openly about their work. He to protect the independence of federal scientists and .
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“Under the previous government, we saw a climate of fear where some government scientists were not allowed to talk to journalists about their research results,” says Rachael Jolley, editor of magazine. “We hope that the new government will be more committed to making sure its citizens are fully informed about science and research.”
Trudeau has also promised after years of inertia under the Conservatives. He has promised to establish a novel climate change framework by February 2016 that will include a plan to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. The Liberals $6 billion in green infrastructure over the next four years, and $2 billion in a low-carbon economy trust that will fund projects to cut carbon emissions.
Image: Kevin Van Paassen/Bloomerg/Getty
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