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Reign of Terror in New South Wales Scientific Community?

In a disturbing report on ABC Stateline last week (20th June) it was revealed that the former NSW State health minister John Hatzistergos had sought to silence the findings of a report from a Sydney scientist that was not to his liking.

The NSW Health Department used the excuse of a minor transgression to discipline and silence Dr Booth. When asked to defend Dr Booth, agasinst the charges of NSW Health his colleagues were not willing to speak.

This would suggest that an atmosphere of terror has been created which inhibits the releasing of important information to the public on which evidence based policy decisions can be made.

The scientist, Dr Michael Booth, former director of The centre for Obesity at Sydney University had released his findings at a scientific conference in good faith, and with the approval of NSW Health.

The key finding of the research was that it's over-eating, and not lack of exercise that's the key cause of Australian children getting fatter, contrary to the arguments of the fast food industry. He also had data showing that without urgent intervention, large numbers of young people were likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes.

Is it the case that influencial lobby groups can apply enough pressure to a minister, so that an academic can have his career ruined and important scientific research shelved, and also his colleagues are so fearful that they will not speak out in his support? Is this similar to what happened with the tobacco industry coverups of the 1970 and 80's, and is this also further indication of the kind of behaviour we have come to expect from ministers of the NSW State Labor Government?

read more from the Stateline article here