Social policy professor Heikki Hiilamo says that he has not been a member of the Green Party for a year and a half.
Helsinki professor of social policy at the university Heikki Hiilamon The spat between Etla and the Finnish Business Research Institute is getting hotter and hotter.
Etla CEO Hiilamo commented to Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday Aki Kangasharjun to accusations of Hiilamo's bias. Kangasharju had called Hiilamo a member of the green party.
Kangasharju had made the claims in the textwhich was a response to Hiilamo's published on Tuesday Up to the column. In it, Hiilamo accused Etla of “favoring income elites” and defending it with “selective research references”. The discussion was joined by Etla's publication in Finland's rescue package would be recommendations on taxation.
Read more: Heikki Hiilamo accused Etla of “lobbying the interests of the elite” – The institution was angry with both Hiilamo and Yle
Hiilamo commented on Wednesday to Helsingin Sanomat that he has not been a member of the Green Party for a year and a half, and he is not in a political position of trust. He said that he was also a member of the coalition before.
However, Hiilamo was the Greens' parliamentary election candidate in the Uusimaa electoral district in 2011.
Kangasharju's comments are inappropriate in Hiilamo's opinion.
“Frankly speaking, I find it strange that such an emotional reaction accuses a person of being a liar,” Hiilamo commented to Helsingin Sanomat.
According to Hiilamo, there are several really good tax researchers in Finland. However, in Hiilamo's opinion, Kangasharju's arguments contribute to an inflamed debate atmosphere, which can prevent researchers from participating in public debate.
“This kind of criticism of a person can reduce at least the willingness of more cautious people to participate in the discussion. However, this is only an empirical question.”
One The points in Kangasharju's answer were related to the discussion about the use of selected research references.
According to Hiilamo, these Selected research references can be seen in the fact that Etla's study did not refer, for example, to the research reviews made by the tax research excellence unit funded by the Academy of Finland. According to Hiilamo, Etla had not referred to some international research reviews either.
“Etla does a lot of good research, that's why I was surprised by these tax recommendations in Finland's rescue package. They look more like advocacy than research.”
Hiilamo emphasized to Helsingin Sanomat that his intention was not to denigrate or question Etla's researchers, but to criticize the fact that the tax recommendations have not been based on the best information.
“When did presenting such a point of view become lying? If it were lying, then freedom of speech is really narrow.”
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