Mr. Speaker, an assault on science is an assault on good government policy.
I am a biologist and an ecologist. I was a scientist before becoming an MP, and what I see in the House of Commons is disturbing. On this side of the aisle there are a lot of people who believe in facts, data, statistics and science as a basis for policy. On that side of the aisle, all too often I see government policy formulated based on belief, faith and ideology.
Many of the people on the other side of the aisle remind me of little Johnny. When Johnny was a little boy, he prayed repeatedly for a bicycle, but he did not get one. Then he took a new approach, maybe after watching the proceedings in the House of Commons: he stole a bicycle and prayed for forgiveness.