[hurley_108]

ridenrain ridenrain:

This was a biased media scrabbling for a bigger "get Harper" moment, nothing more.
The reporter had no right to ask that question and the minister had no duty to answer that. Most of all, the media had no right to blow this into another manufactured scandal.

They did have a right to ask him about whether or not he accepted one of the most fundamental theories of modern science, though it seems they asked him a different question.

Quite right he didn't have an obligation to answer the question but it is highly suspicious that he didn't - akin to refusing a breathalyzer sample - and the voters have a right to vote on that and other issues however they choose.

I would hardly call this a scandal though.

[romanP]

fifeboy fifeboy:

It would be like having someone in as minister of transport who thought automobiles should be banned.

I might support that. As long as cars were banned in moderation.

[hurley_108]

romanP romanP:

fifeboy fifeboy:

It would be like having someone in as minister of transport who thought automobiles should be banned.

I might support that. As long as cars were banned in moderation.

[romanP]

rawmeat rawmeat:

ridenrain ridenrain:

I don't like chiropractors either but that's not a reason why he's unqualified either.

Again, when is the press going to break out the "when did you stop beating you're wife" questions?

How does asking a question about science addressed to the science minister relate in anyway to a question about him beating his wife? that digression makes no sense at all.

For once, ridenrain is actually making sense, actually. The questions lobbed at him have nothing to do with his position. If the Minister of Science is acting in a professional manner, he will separate his religious views from his political work. Upon further inspection, it appears he has done that, at least rhetorically.

Okay, let's frame this a different way. Let's say the Minister of Science says he gay. Does that affect how well he can do his job?

[ridenrain]

Darwin himself only had a degree in theology from Cambridge University.

As I said, the minister handled this poorly and was obviously trying hard not to be controversial but he failed to stick handle the reporter and became the story itself. The reporter ran that into another "gotcha" story.


Religion, race, creed, sexual orientation and even crackpot bone-breaking chiropractors, all have equal rights to employment in our system.

I would question a minister of health who was an intervenious drug addict though..
or a GG that was a sepratist.

[RUEZ]

ridenrain ridenrain:

I would question a minister of health who was an intervenious drug addict though..
or a GG that was a sepratist.

Or perhaps a party leader who was a citizen of a foreign country.

[ridenrain]

Or someone who spent a long time out of the country? Perhaps their new Manchurian Candidate?

$1:

On Tuesday, Liberal science critic Marc Garneau said that believing in evolution is not a job requirement for the science minister.

“It is a personal matter. It is a matter of faith.… I don’t think it prevents someone from being a good minister,” said the former astronaut, who has been a vocal critic of the government for its cuts to the three granting councils that fund university-based research in Canada…

This is straight from Kinsella.

[hurley_108]

ridenrain ridenrain:

$1:

On Tuesday, Liberal science critic Marc Garneau said that believing in evolution is not a job requirement for the science minister.

“It is a personal matter. It is a matter of faith.… I don’t think it prevents someone from being a good minister,” said the former astronaut, who has been a vocal critic of the government for its cuts to the three granting councils that fund university-based research in Canada…

This is straight from Kinsella.

What's interesting about that article is that Goodyear's explanation of evolution bore no resemblance to what evolution really is, but the writers of the article didn't seem to notice...

[ridenrain]

Does it really matter?
He's only the guy signing the checks, not filling the beakers.
Are you going to demand that the minister for Indian Affairs be an Indian too?

[hurley_108]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Does it really matter?
He's only the guy signing the checks, not filling the beakers.
Are you going to demand that the minister for Indian Affairs be an Indian too?

No, but I would honestly hope he'd have at least a cursory understanding about the history of native peoples on the continent.

[Proculation]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

ridenrain ridenrain:

Does it really matter?
He's only the guy signing the checks, not filling the beakers.
Are you going to demand that the minister for Indian Affairs be an Indian too?

No, but I would honestly hope he'd have at least a cursory understanding about the history of native peoples on the continent.

Next you will want the finance minister to know about finance and economy I guess ?

[RUEZ]

Proculation Proculation:

Next you will want the finance minister to know about finance and economy I guess ?

[herbie]

It's no more ludicrous than anyone in their caucus named the Minister of Environment being taken seriously!

Hell we're lucky to be Canucks. I remember when they gave the keys and the launch codes to people who believed in "rapture". That's was worth pissing your pants over...

[Sapio]

sandorski sandorski:

Pseudonym Pseudonym:

It seems like he addressed the question tactfully. Is his job performance poor? Is he compelling people to learn unorthodox/incorrect theories? When you take into account the fact that the vast majority of the world believes in a Creator of some sort, how this man believes that came about seems rather inconsequential. Leave him alone and let him do his job.

He's the Minister for Science. His stance on Evolution is an important consideration.

What a joke "Minister for Science", one of a number of post that Federal government needs to get ride of. Along with about 10+ cabinet posts. As for this beliefs, they do not matter. As long as they are left off of the job, which they have been.

Leave all Science to the private sector.

[CanadianJeff]

RUEZ RUEZ:

As long as he does his job it's nobodies business what he believes.

amen to that. Freedom of religion. This reeks of a media smack job.