2015 Ministerial Mandate Letter - Minister of Science

Canadian heads of government issue ministerial mandate letters to convey their expectations of priorities and behaviour.

As far as I know, these have not historically been released to the public, but they have been recently for Ontario

Mandate Letters 2014-2015

and for Canada (federal level)

2015 Ministerial Mandate Letters

For the Canadian federal Mandate Letters, the starting paragraphs are (on a quick scan) all the same (with adjustments to address each Minister), including

We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government.  It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves.  Government and its information should be open by default.

The specific direction to the Minister of State for Science (Minister of Science) Kirsty Duncan is:

We are a government that believes in science – and a government that believes that good scientific knowledge should inform decision-making.  We believe that investments in scientific research, including an appropriate balance between fundamental research to support new discoveries and the commercialization of ideas, will lead to good jobs and sustainable economic growth. As Minister of Science, your overarching goal will be to support scientific research and the integration of scientific considerations in our investment and policy choices.  Support for science is an essential pillar in our strategy to create sustainable economic growth and support and grow the middle class.

In particular, I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities:

• Create a Chief Science Officer mandated to ensure that government science is fully available to the public, that scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that scientific analyses are considered when the government makes decisions.
• Support your colleagues in the review and reform of Canada’s environmental assessment processes to ensure that environmental assessment decisions are based on science, facts, and evidence.
• Support the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour in efforts to help employers create more co-op placements for students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business programs.
• Support your Ministerial colleagues as they re-insert scientific considerations into the heart of our decision-making and investment choices.
• Lead the establishment of new Canada Research Chairs in sustainable technologies, working with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
• Work in collaboration with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to examine the implications of climate change on Arctic marine ecosystems.
• Examine options to strengthen the recognition of, and support for, fundamental research to support new discoveries.

There is no specific mention of open data; it is mentioned in the Mandate Letters for both the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and the President of the Treasury Board.  See blog post 2015 Ministerial Mandate Letters - open data.