Analysis Of Voting Patterns On S&T Issues

In 1994 the Government of Canada undertook a major review of its S&T programs; and by implication, all S&T activities in Canada. This review had three separate streams, an internal review of federal S&T programs, ~ corresponding arm's-length review by the then National Advisory Board on Science and Technology, and a program of external consultations with all stakeholders in the national system of innovation. These external consultations consisted of almost 30 "town-hall" meetings in smaller communities across the country (generally communities where there was a significant S&T presence such as a university, followed up by a series of regional conferences, to help define national S&T issues. This series of conferences culminated in a national conference held in Ottawa, on October 12, 1994. Participants were asked to discuss a series of issues, as the public input to the overall review of national S&T policy.At the end of these discussions, participants were asked to vote on their reaction to the questions presented and on the priority that should be assigned to each of these topics in the overall S&T review. There were approximately 210 voting participants at the conference. These participants had been invited on basis of being S&T stakeholders with a demonstrated interest in S&T policy issues, so that the sample voting at the conference probably represented a good cross-section of informed opinion on Canadian S&T issues.