Agriculture committee  I think the advantage to an organization like ours is to really look at where people are focused at this moment. If that story is occurring, if those visuals are in front of the public right now, our intention is to slip the science in there and say, “Okay, everybody's looking at this issue.

Agriculture committee  I feel like I'm on Jeopardy and I don't have the computer Watson with me to give me a hand.

Agriculture committee  Well, I would say that biotechnology is the ability to.... You should be asking him first. Let me defer to the scientist, because that's what I would do.

Agriculture committee  No, I'd go with him.

Agriculture committee  I think it's transparency--honestly being willing and able to step up and enter the debate. You know, science isn't all about “This is absolutely right and that is absolutely wrong.” Things change, too, and I think the more the scientists are prepared to engage and to talk about it, then the more the media and the public will learn that this is how science is done, and these are the risks we will or will not accept.

Agriculture committee  Yes, I do. Actually, we have a whole selection process for our experts where we take--we think--the best of peer review, which is that we look for recommendations from our advisory panel. We look for who has been funded by NSERC or SSHRC, where they are working, and the kinds of publications they've been getting.

Agriculture committee  I was surprised. I'd like to find out why, because I was surprised by their decision. I can't say anything other than that.

Agriculture committee  We have funding. Maybe Suzanne could answer that.

Agriculture committee  That's right. We are funded and a charitable organization. We have experts. On a controversial issue, for example, we would have a range of opinions. We would decide who the experts were that we should have in this particular area and what the bona fide scientific response and aspects were that we could talk to.

Agriculture committee  I am not really--

Agriculture committee  We haven't yet. We're just starting. We have a very limited staff. However, I would say that it is a very important issue to be discussed and something where we would.... The way our organization is set up, we have a scientific advisory panel, which has about 20-odd experts in different areas.

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be with you today. I am Penny Park, executive director of the Science Media Centre. With me is Suzanne Corbeil, who is the founding chair of the SMCC. Our testimony today is to inform you of the role the SMCC might play in shaping public policy.