The Communist Party of China not the Conservative Party of Canada. In order to get any information about our Prime Ministers discussions at the APEC meetings the Canadian Press corps had to rely on the Chinese Foreign Ministery and other countries to find out what was going on. They were denied access to Stephen Harper by Sandra Buckler. This from the guy who lectures other countries about freedom of the press. Do as I say not as I do seems a fitting epithat for our PM.
Harper was also asked about his accessibility at the APEC conference. And the news of his discussion with the Chinese president came by e-mail to reporters travelling with him 14 hours after the fact. It was the Chinese foreign ministry official who gave the Canadian media the first substantive description of the meeting.It was the Korean government that told Canadian reporters about the visit of a Canadian diplomat to North Korea. Harper's staff also blocked Canadian journalists from attending all but the first of Harper's public activities, even while foreign media were present or invited.
CTV's Roger Smith, travelling with the prime minister told CTV Newsnet Harper has kept an extraordinarily low media profile during the summit. In fact, on several occasions, reporters learned key details from media briefings held by other countries.
In fact, Harper's office didn't confirm that the meeting with Hu had taken place until 14 hours after it took place -- long after the Chinese had announced it had happened.
"We all found it very ironic we were getting more information, and faster, from the communist government of China than we were from the Conservative government of Canada," Smith said.
See:
PMO Spies On Cabinet Ministers
Harper Is No Statesman
Harpercrsy
Gong Show Redux
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