Dr. Gary Goodyear - bad week, but its ok.

Personally, I don't care about this issue. There are MPs who believe in some wacky, wacky shit - let me assure you.

While I have always believed in some form of evolution - nuanced by intelligent design or otherwise - ultimately, what a man believes is his faith.

To suggest, however, that Dr. GY can't do his job because he doesn't believe in the scientific fact of evolution demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what his job is. Whether or not the politics associated with his appointment are still good for the Prime Minister is, to be fair, a topic of debate. Ultimately, however, the PMs decision. If the PM wants the ultra-liberal media who haven't been named to the Senate to criticize that instead of his economic policy, he might be onto something.

Goodyear is a politician - and actually a pretty good one. I find him to be both personable and has a clear understanding of a lot of issues facing Ontario. As a Minister for State he makes announcements or stands next to a higher ranking politician who make announcements. He answers the odd question in the House of Commons. He has stakeholder meetings. He is involved in some cabinet level decisions - but ultimately, he isn't the one making the decision. It isn't as if the DM or the PCO aren't also in the room.

I would be shocked if he said to some stakeholder - "well, I don't think we should be funding this genome thing because, frankly, your research is at odds with my personal beliefs." He might muse that way to his staff or meet with other stakeholders a guy in charge of science might NOT otherwise meet with, but meh - what is the big deal if he does? Lord knows I met with enough stakeholders I didn't believe...

Personally, I would be far more interested in the other ranking Cabinet Ministers and what they thought. I don't know the PM very well, but I am fairly sure that he believes in evolution. Lord knows he better believe in it or his Cabinet will never improve.

I think that if we were really concerned with that the government was doing on "science" we should turn to why they fired Dr. Arthur Carty - Canada's Science Advisor, who I am sure believes in evolution.

Dr. G's personal views - while personally unacceptable- do not make it impossible to do his job.