Meeting Minutes - Jan. 09, 2006

National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada   Held on January 9, 2006 at the Main Legislative Building Room # 2, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario   Mr. Thomas Saras, President of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, welcomed the members to meeting. It was a very pleasant evening with Chairman Mr. Clyde McNeil, playing the key role of the speaker, on the administration of the meeting.   Chairman Mr. Clyde McNeil, welcomed all the members including few new Members and wished everybody a Happy New Year, since it was the first Meeting for the year 2006. Next, Chairman of the Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada Mr. McNeil apologized for what he had stated in December 2005 meeting. He explained he was more or less trying to protect the ethnic press and that he was very sorry for his emotional outburst. In this case there was no motion and all the members accepted the Chairman’s explanation. Shortly afterwards, according to the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting was tabled and approved unanimously At this stage Mr. Saras explained that as in the case of approval of motions submitted at the monthly meetings the Constitution clearly states that only Board Members can vote and approve them. This was as a result of a motion, which brought by a member without any previous consultation of the executive or the members of the Board of Directors. Since the Constitution states only Board Members have voting authority, this motion was dropped. However, the Board Members were requested to look into the matter and report. At this stage Federal Member of Parliament Jim Karigiannis joined us at the Committee Room N#2. While the President, Chairman and Members of Council welcomed him, Mr. Karigiannis said it was election time, whether he won or lost: ”I shall fight for the ethnic journalist”. The good news is he won in his riding comfortably. But his government lost and he now sits in the Opposition Benches. Shortly after Mr. Kargiannis¹ address to our members the keynote speaker of the evening, Mr. Mike Colle, Minister of Citizenship and Culture of the Ontario Government, arrived. He apologized for arriving late and addressed the ethnic press at length on the activities of his Ministry for new immigrants arriving in the Province of Ontario. Immigration Minister Mr. Colle stated that his Ministry has brought in new proposals and has secured the green light from the Government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. He said the population of the Province of Ontario comprised of 60% immigrants and the Federal Government has allocated $920 million to be invested for the settlement of new immigrants. President Thomas Saras, making a statement, said the Government of Mr. Paul Martin had failed to meet the Ethnic Press during the election campaign and that showed how much the Liberal Party cared for the Ethnic Press. He said over $3500 was spent booking hotels food etc., to entertain a “Team of Civil Servants” from Ottawa to examine the possibility of Federal Advertising to the Ethnic Media and Press, but nothing has come out of these meetings and the money was a waste. The meeting was adjourned with the announcement of the invitation from NDP leader Jack Layton at the Metropolitan Hotel, Toronto at 3.00 p. m. on Saturday January 15, 2006.  (Compiled by Srimal (Chris) Abeyewardene ­ Editor ­ The Sri Lanka Reporter acting as a recording secretary of the NEPMCC, on the absence of Mr. Neel Nanda who is traveling outside Canada.