Ontario science table member Dr. David Fisman resigns, hinting at tension with other scientists
An outspoken epidemiologist on the COVID-19 science and modelling tables advising the Ontario government has resigned, hinting at tension with other scientists and saying the province needs a public health system that is arm's length from politics."
Dr. David Fisman of the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health tweeted his resignation letter Monday morning.
I do not wish to remain in this uncomfortable position, where I must choose between placid relations with colleagues on the one hand, and the necessity of speaking truth during a public health crisis on the other," he wrote in the letter dated Friday.
It was addressed to Dalla Lana dean Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, who became a public figure during the pandemic for televised briefings given at Queen's Park on modelling of the pandemic's trajectory.
Brown declined a resignation submitted by Fisman earlier this year over a brief controversy over his paid work for the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, providing advice on COVID protections.
In his latest letter, Fisman suggests advice to Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government is being diluted.
In a system such as ours, it was always going to be a challenge to balance the best scientific guidance with what's politically possible," wrote Fisman.
I find myself increasingly uncomfortable with the degree to which political considerations appear to be driving outputs from the table, or at least the degree to which these outputs are shared in a transparent manner with the public," he added.
I have been in the uncomfortable position of repeatedly dissenting publicly from our table guidance, though with the advantage of hindsight I remain comfortable with my positions on the relevant issues."
Fisman has been among the scientists and physicians who have criticized the Ford government for not imposing strong public health measures quickly enough during periods of the pandemic when COVID-19 has been on the rise.
Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1