This editorial column by the Times Transcript, besides being incredibly hypocritical, is truly abhorrent. Judge for yourself. Leave the politics to the politicians We can agree with New Brunswick Medical Society that medical health officers should be able to speak to the public abouthealthissueswithoutinterferencefromelectedofficials. We wonder however at the need for such a sweeping statement ifinfactitisengenderedbytheexampleofChiefMedicalHealth Officer Dr.Eilish Cleary’s own rather sweeping statements made ayearagoabouttheprovince’sambitionsforashalegasindustry. As we understand it Dr. Cleary’s report stated, in brief, thatsinceNewBrunswick’s doctors don’t really know anythingaboutthepossible health impacts of shale gas developmentthentheprovince ought not to proceed untildoctorsdoknowsomething about it.We note Dr. Cleary chose not to speculate when that day would come.A guess would not be made any easier given the fact there is very little evidence we are aware of that there is any impact from shale gas fracking on public health anywhere on the continent,despitethefactithasbeengoingonformanyyears. While the Society might bridle at the words, Dr. Cleary’s statementisacallforan‘indefinitemoratorium’accompanied with the implied proviso that the province’s doctors will let the province’s elected leaders know when they can proceed. Small wonder if the provincial government hesitated at the release of such a blatantly political statement, if in fact that is what happened. In any event, Dr. Cleary’s report was released in due course and in full, despite the fact the end product,advertised as a medical report,had somehow magically morphed into a political manifesto. Had her report been mandated by government,we would imagine it would have asked for scientific evidence of health risks from fracking; nothing more or less. When it comes to public statements, the Society and the province’s doctors should stick with health issues and leave economic development,environmental issues,petro-geology and especially politics to the experts in those fields. We Say: Doctors should confine public statements to health issues
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 10:39:43 +0000
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