The minister of state is kindly asked to leave

Gary Goodyear makes another friend in the academic world.

Jim Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, said that universities need to be a place where controversial ideas can be debated, and that this kind of political interference to curry favour with a group of voters is unprecedented in Canada and blow to academic freedom.

"The action of the Minister of Science and Technology contacting the president of SSHRC to express political concerns is not something we have seen in this country since the McCarthy period," he said.

Mr. Turk said that Mr. Goodyear should resign.