Représentations :
Honourable Bruce Cohen and Cohen Commission participants;
I am adding my voice to the many others who object to, and find suspect, the destructive and pointless air of secrecy surrounding the Cohen Commission hearings. Facts are facts and lies are lies. If people are able to see and hear what evidence is being given, or is not given, at these hearings we will be able to judge for ourselves the validity of whatever conclusions or interpretations are presented at the end of the process. It is perfectly clear and well-known that government-employed scientists are discouraged or forbidden from expressing their opinions to the public, either directly or through the press. Not only are their opinions censored, but even established facts published in peer-reviewed scientific journals are treated as closely-held government secrets. This leaves the clear impression that evidence given will be cherry-picked to support whatever political outcome is desired by the powers that be. I have no reason or personal knowledge to doubt Justice Cohen's integrity, but the format and the rules surrounding the commission's work do not leave a savoury odor nor do they encourage me to believe that the final report will not be full of evasions, obfuscations, omissions, and other defects which will be nearly impossible to detect, correct, or expose without yet another commission starting from scratch and operating with genuine transparency - a process which, at the very best, can only delay undertaking any actions necessary to protect our Pacific salmon from the ISA virus. At some point it may be too late for corrective actions.
It would be helpful to the public, and to the perception of the worth of this commission's work, if all participants were able to give their testimony in full view of the public, those in attendance at the hearings or via live-streaming. It would be helpful if all participants were free to express their opinions, to present facts, and to answer questions from public and press free of any constraints imposed either by government or by the commission itself. Let the facts speak for themselves.
Yours truly,
Martin Hykin |
