TWU students meet with PM Stephen Harper
On February 21, four TWU students were invited to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a press conference in Vancouver. The Prime Minister was at Canada Place to officially announce the completion of the restored iconic 90-foot white sailed roof. Students learned, however, that at a press conference anything goes.
photo: submission
As part of the Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada contributed $21 million for this restoration project which created 165 jobs. Following brief speeches by Minister Stockwell Day, Minister Chuck Strahl, Prime Minister Harper, and Canada Place CEO Mike Shardlow, the floor was opened to questions from the media. Students listened to local and national media question the Prime Minister on any and everything except the restoration project.
The first reporter referred to remarks made the day before by Justice Edmond Blanchard on the pending illegal Tamil migrant court cases. The Prime Minister declined to comment on cases currently before the judicial process. That evening an article was released by CTV with the headline “Minister stands by ‘abuse of process’ in Tamil cases.”
One reporter asked about the Prime Minister’s response to two women who were struck by a hit-and-run driver two days prior in British Columbia. He was specifically questioned on the re-introduction of Carley’s Law, a Private Member’s Bill from 2005. The Prime Minister conveyed condolences on behalf of Canada, related to facts of this tragic case and was also able to name the sponsor of Carley’s Law, Dick Harris.
The predominant theme of questioning, and that which generated the most headlines, was election speculation: the Prime Minister’s discussions with the NDP and recent polls. With one snappy response, that the government will not “engage in horse trading,” CTV News, CBC News, and the Globe and Mail immediately had articles with the “horse trading” comment quoted in the headlines.
What’s extremely clear is the fact that what the media reports on with authority, with a quote from the Prime Minister, can come from something as brief as one answer to one question from one reporter; it is only a fraction of the story. Although the Prime Minister was at Canada Place to announce the completion of a project, not a single question was asked on this matter — or even a remotely related topic.
Students came away with a new appreciation for the role of media and that of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was prepared to answer questions from recent local news to the final question regarding rumored secret files on him. Press Conferences are valuable in providing direct answers from the Prime Minister. However, it must be recognized that the media provides but a brief glimpse into the day’s news.
Recent Comments