Ladner and the Chinese media
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Peter Ladner won the nomination for NPA. (Vancouver Sun has already put up the story on its website.)
Honestly, I'm quite surprised (I have a feeling that he's more right-wing than Sullivan -- he was the only councillor who didn't go to the annual pride parade). But I bet he has run an effective in-party campaign (tUCC, uh?). Sam Sullivan might have lost the support of many Chinese (newer immigrants) members because of his drug policy.
Now I'm worried. While Mr Ladner's position on drugs is welcomed by many Chinese immigrants, he is not very friendly to the Chinese media. Our experience is that Mr Ladner almost never returns Chinese reporters' calls on the same day the calls are made throughout his two terms as a councillor. He isn't accessible. He doesn't respond to controversial issues. He simply avoids the media.
He would return call the next day though, which naturally becomes meaningless. His favourite line is "Oh, I'm sorry... I was on the road when you called me yesterday" blah blah blah.
However, we do notice that Mr Ladner does return calls from mainstream media, especially TV.
His way of dealing with the Chinese media reminds me of a similar attitude held by the BC Liberals a decade ago. But Gordon Campbell et al have changed completely after they held office. We used to see Campbell and gang as being arrogant towards the Chinese. I can only hope that Mr Ladner isn't; or even if he is, he'd try to establish better communications with the media.
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It always strike me as funny that people can talk about human rights and at the same breath go against gay rights. I don't understand why there is such difficulties in recognizing same sex marriages. People are people - what is the problem. Now that Ladner is in the spot light, he must come clean on the issues.
yes, he cannot hide from speaking on controversial issues any more. but honestly, for his full two terms as a councillor, can you remember what he has done or what he has said? we hardly know what he advocates, and we don't know what he has done to contribute. sam sullivan might have raised a lot of controversy on his drug policy. none of us can deny he's an extremely hard working guy ... ever since he's been councillor. peter ladner has a lot of job to present himself what he really is to vancouverites. otherwise, people would prefer greg robertson who seems to be a combination of being a progressive and a businessman.
I can't speak for Peter Ladner, but I can only guess at why he hadn't returned calls from the Chinese media. It's very simple. Peter did not have a Chinese Media point person for the longest time.
The person he had originally asked to help out had let him down. On the day Peter was to meet Chinatown leaders, Peter's "Chinese media Person" backed out at the very last minute - saying he was sick(!)
I can only guess that the individual had thought that Peter was not going to win the nomination and had chickened out at the last minute.
This has now changed.
Peter's team now has a Chinese media person... :-) he was appointed late in the nomination effort last month.
The important thing for Peter now is to keep away the 'self-professed Chinatown leaders' who had dogged Sam Sullivan.
hi tUCC, thx for briefing us from a first-hand, on-the-scene perspective.
i certainly hope peter ladner's chinese media point person (actually it doesn't need to be a "Chinese" media point person, as long as he has someone professional that'd be great) could help improve his communications in the future. but our experience is that, he has NEVER been responsive to chinese media calls. anyway, i heard him on the chinese radio this afternoon. glad he finally realizes the need to reach out beyond his circles.
"Chinese media Person" backed out at the very last minute - saying he was sick(!)
'self-professed Chinatown leaders'
Ugly - these are real chinks. Fucking gutless shitheads that give Chinese people the bad name. Personally I find Indo-Canadians are easy to work with and have tons of chutzpah. I feel sorry for Ladner having to endure such nefarious experience. He would be a bit gun shy dealing with chinks from now on. And I don't blame him.
Chinktalk...
Wow. You seem angrier than I ;)
But you've succinctly identified it. A small handful in the Chinese Canadian community has managed to spoil it all for everyone.
And everyone who is Chinese Canadian should be slapped hard in the face for allowing their apathy and lack of community involvement take precedant over face grabbing. Our lack of supporting good and decent leaders - Chinese and non-Chinese has allowed the proliferation of self-serving people to run for office.
Yes. Once upon a time, the Chinese were viewed as the "sick men of Asia"... now We Chinese Canadians are the "sick men of Canada".
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