NATIONAL ETHNIC PRESS AND MEDIA COUNCIL OF CANADA
Conseil national de la presse et medias ethniques du Canada
Canada’s Other Voices

Office of the President
January 7, 2006

ROUND TABLE DISCUSIONS WITH MR. STEPHEN HARPER!
Next meeting with Mr.Jack Layton.  

Dear Friends and Colleagues, Brothers and Sisters of the Ethnic Press and Media, this is to inform you that this week we had the opportunity to meet and have a round table discussion about the philosophy and policies of Mr. Harper, in case he wins the elections of January 23, 2006. Forty-five members of the organization were present at the event and they had the opportunity to voice their own concerns and ask questions.  The Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada was with us for about two hours and he answered every question of the journalists in attendance.  This event was initiated and organized by the Conservative Party of Canada and Mr. Harper’s press secretary Mr. Dimitre Soudas, whom I want to thank.  Thanks also to the members of the campaign of the Conservative Party for their dedication and time spent in preparation for a professional press conference.

Many thanks to the Hon. Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party, for the honour and his respect he showed to the members of our industry and our organization.  It is an event which we appreciate and treasure, and I want to ask all the members of the industry to take a close look.

Our next political meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 14, 2006, also in Toronto, with the leader of the New Democratic Party the Hon. Jack Layton.  This meeting was also initiated by the campaign Head office of the NDP and I want to express our thanks to the officials involved as well our appreciation for the honour and recognition of the important role of the member publications and the industry in the campaign. 

At this point I want to report to you that as of today no one from the Liberal Party of Canada made any attempt to reach my office or to suggest for any “round table” discussion with the Rte. Hon. Paul Martin, leader of the Liberal Party.  This fact is totally unacceptable, for a political organization with past close ties with our communities and the members of the industry and our organization.   
 
Besides the fact that for two full years we have been subjected to their false promises for inclusion in the government advertisement budget, it is my personal opinion that this election shows clearly the attitude and feelings of this political organization towards the Ethnic Press and the Ethnic Communities which they try to use only for delivering votes when they need to be reelected.
 
Please keep in your mind, your interests and the interests of your community, depends on your leadership in informing them of the new trends and realities in the political establishment of this great Country of ours.  The well being of our communities depends on the well being of this Country and to this extend please make sure your readership is well informed.  Please avoid the pitfall of a meaningless “multiculturalism” and the preaching of “equality” only to deliver votes to our political “masters”.  Please think for the future of our communities and our children.

Thank you,

Thomas S. Saras
President 
Nathional Ethnic Press And Media Council Of Canada.
saras@patrides.com
http://www.nepmcc.ca/