ANSTO apologises for poll changes
ANSTO is interested in stimulating public debate and discussion about nuclear science and technology. In so doing, it recently began a web poll on whether nuclear power should be part of Australia's future energy mix.
As a result of a dramatic change in poll voting patterns over the weekend, a staff member, without authority, modified the poll by changing the "I am against it" answer to "It is one of the options" at around 7.30am today. This was an unauthorised change. ANSTO acknowledges that both making a change and changing the answer "I am against it" to "It is one of the options" was a serious error of judgement by the staff member. This gave misleading and incorrect results to web visitors and poll participants.
Following an approach by an online news service, the staff member then changed the answer to "No" in a bid to correct the situation.
When ANSTO management became aware of the situation, it took action to restore the poll to the original answer and also included "No" to ensure all voters in the intervening period would be included in the statistics.
As the CEO of ANSTO, I wish to apologise unreservedly to stakeholders and participants for this unauthorised intervention in the poll results. The poll is on the front page of the ANSTO website at www.ansto.gov.au.
Dr Adi Paterson
Chief Executive Officer
Posted: 26 October 2009
Comments
Comment by: Public User on 26 Oct 2009
It just shows how lacking in credibility ANSTO is - it can't even set up a robust approach for testing public opinion.
Comment by: Public User on 26 Oct 2009
Well done to the CEO for the correction. You have a serious problem that is probably widerspread. We don't trust the nucelar industry after lying to us for many years. If your staff have such little respect for public opinion, then nothing has changed culturally.
Comment by: Public User on 26 Oct 2009
I wonder to what extent this public admission of wrongdoing has been prompted by public backlash. Because it does come across as the same type of manufacturing of consent and failure of transparency with which I and many members of the public consider both ANSTO and the government approach to nuclear matters. I am against it. I am not the only one. I am very well informed. Despite the vested interests of ANSTO.
Comment by: Public User on 26 Oct 2009
Well done for acting as quickly as you did to correct an error that appears to have been made by a well-intentioned employee.
Comment by: Public User on 27 Oct 2009
typical of the dodgy pro-nuke lobby - can't hack it in the real world. Go solar thermal!
Comment by: Public User on 28 Oct 2009
Rating: 
Never mind about nuclear power - what about the waste! How about a poll on whether people want nuclear waste dumps in their country? How about information about what is done with nuclear waste now. Shouldn't you be information people about the dangers of nuclear waste so they are properly educated about all apects of nuclear power? Shame on you - especially if you are a medical doctor.
Comment by: Public User on 28 Oct 2009
Rating:
Absolutely disgusted with the way that a Commonwealth agency could stoop so low to justify an aspect of its very existence. I look forward to a time not too distant when your agency will have its funding justifiably diminished in the cause of ensuring that other more appropriate energy alternatives (like hot rocks/geothermal, tidal and wind/solar technologies) can play their part in assisting to effectively and immediately combat climate change.
Comment by: Public User on 29 Oct 2009
Rating: 
Well done to the CEO of ANSTO for his honesty in this matter.
« Previous | 1 | Next »
Comment by: Public User on 26 Oct 2009
Rating:
And I thought you were scientists! What unethical behaviour...if you did this as a student you'd be thrown out of the course.