There is just over a week to go before Canadians head to the polls to elect a new government. But one topic that hasn't received much attention on the campaign trail is science.

So we thought we'd gather together candidates from each of the major federal parties to talk about science and environmental issues in this election.

We asked each of them where they and their parties stood on federal funding of science; basic vs. applied research; the controversy around federal scientists being permitted to speak about their research, and how to cut greenhouse gas emissions while protecting jobs and the economy.

Our panel of candidates were:

- Lynne Quarmby, The Green Party candidate in Burnaby North-Seymour, and professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University

- Gary Goodyear, Conservative Party candidate in Cambridge, Ontario, and former Minister of State for Science and Technology

- Marc Garneau, Liberal Party candidate in NDG-Westmount, and a former Canadian astronaut

- Megan Leslie, NDP candidate in Halifax and her party's environment critic