Michael Griffin, Geoff Garrett and That Question of Gagging Scientists. (March 26, 2006)

    On February 22 CSIRO's Chief Executive, Geoff Garrett announced in a media release an internal review of the organisation's role in providing science input into policy development.

He stated, "CSIRO does not gag its scientists and this is an issue that the organisation takes very seriously."

Previously, on February 17, the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop wrote to the Canberra Times "Allegations that the Government has "gagged" CSIRO scientists are ludicrous."

However, interrogation by Senator Penny Wong (Labor, SA) during Senate Estimates hearings on February 15 cast doubt on Ms Bishop's and Dr Garrett's claims.

Interestingly, Michael Griffin, Chief of the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) in dealing with a comparable alligation of precluding a scientist from making a public statement had this to say when interviewed a fortnight ago by Andrew Lawler for Science:

NASA's Chief Michael Griffin

Q: NASA's credibility as a nonpartisan purveyor of science was damaged in the flap over recent complaints by agency scientist Jim Hansen. What are

 you doing to change that?
    Even Jim Hansen has not said that anyone has interfered with his publication of his technical conclusions. Jim said he was inappropriately denied an interview he should have been able to conduct. And I think he was right. And the person who denied him that interview is no longer here. I can only assure you, as the head of NASA, that no one here wants or will tolerate any restriction on the prerogatives of technical people to publish their conclusions to their community and have them be debated on their merits in their communities.

Meanwhile, CSIRO is clouding the issue by insinuating if not accusing some of its researchers of attempting to influence governmental policy in the way they publicly present their research and draw their conclusions -- and this is not to be countenanced.

It doesn't take an ethicist to recognise the utility to management such an amorphus grey area encompasses. Lewis Carroll had Humpty Dumpty explain it mordantly succinctly to Alice back in the 19^th century.