The Green Party of Canada applauds federal scientists calling out a serious mistake being made in reckless cuts. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May delivered a letter from Diptera specialist Dr. Art Borkent to the Prime Minister calling for an urgent reversal of decisions that are dismantling core scientific capacity, starting with the termination of the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes’ Diptera Unit (flies).

Greens note that a global petition signed by 495 scientists, representing institutions in 47 countries, with official support from entomological societies in eight countries, warns that eliminating this unit is “a mistake [that] must be reversed.”

“When the government cuts science, it cuts Canada’s ability to prevent harm, respond to emergencies, and protect public health,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada. “At a time of climate disruption and biodiversity loss, we must strengthen public science, not dismantle it.”

Scientists note that the Canadian National Collection holds more than 18 million specimens dating from the early 1900s to today, and supports biodiversity monitoring and identification work relied on across Canada and internationally.


The Green Party is increasingly concerned of the wider trend of cuts to public services. Public service workers have received thousands of workforce adjustment notices, and unions have warned that science-based departments are being hit in ways that will weaken Canada’s ability to protect people and ecosystems.

“These decisions aren’t line items on a spreadsheet,” May added. “This is about whether or not Canada will still have the expertise to identify risks early to biodiversity collapse, invasive species, disease vectors, or environmental emergencies, and act in time”

Greens warn these terminations are consistent with a broader pattern of decisions that weaken public capacity and leave Canadians exposed as the climate crisis worsens. In January, the Green Party called for an urgent explanation after reports that Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Integrated Marine Response Plan program, which provides core operational oil spill response capacity, was being eliminated. The party warned this would leave Canada “functionally absent” from marine pollution response.

The Green Party of Canada stands with the scientists, collections staff, and supporters behind the global petition, and supports their call to reverse the decision to eliminate the Diptera Unit. The party is urging the federal government to immediately halt these terminations and reverse course on cuts that are weakening Canada’s scientific and public-service capacity, and is calling for clear public accountability from the Prime Minister on how the government intends to meet its responsibilities to protect biodiversity, agriculture, biosecurity, and public health.

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For media inquiries or to arrange an interview: media@greenparty.ca