NEPMCC: Question Period: WITH TOM MULCAIR Canada NDP Leader

CANADA FEDERAL ELECTIONS 2015 - NEPMCC: Question Period:NDP Leader TOM MULCAIR (VIDEO ) - NDP proposes $15-an-hour Federal Minimum WageNEPMCC: Question Period: WITH TOM MUCLAIR

The term ‘ethnic media’ might seem funny or unfamiliar to some people and even make some slightly uncomfortable. A friend once told me, it reminds him of the joke when somebody asks: “Hands up all those who don’t have an ethnicity!” Ethnic media, communicating with different ethnic communities, most of the time in their own language, might be largely unknown to most of us but are an important part of contemporary media. Not only in Canada but in most developed countries with significant immigrant populations. In Toronto, a city with more than half its population having been born outside the country, their salience is self-evident. They, ranging from English and French to many other languages, and from newspapers and magazines to radio and TV stations, serve hundreds of thousands of people for many of whom they are the most trusted (and sometimes, exclusive) source of news.Political parties, too, have learnt this importance and now media receptions, exclusive for ‘ethnic media’ are a constant theme on electoral tours and other campaigns. Michael Ignatieff used to do it every other month. When Angelo Persichilli, editor of an Italian newspaper, was appointed Stephen Harper’s Communication Director, your correspondent, working for Shahrvand, largest Persian publication in North America, (which, as you can see, also publishes in English) heard many shocked by the news. BY TAKIS GALLAS  http://okeadas.blogspot.gr/

Tom Mulcair was elected leader of the New Democratic Party and the Official Opposition in March 2012.

He previously served as the NDP’s Deputy Leader and House Leader.

As Jack Layton’s right hand, he was one of the architects of the “orange wave” which elected 103 NDP MPs – including 59 in Quebec – on May 2, 2011.

Tom Mulcair was first elected to the House of Commons in 2007 after a by-election in the Montreal riding of Outremont. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2011.

Before entering federal politics, Tom represented the provincial riding of Chomedey in the National Assembly of Quebec between 1994 and 2007.

He served as the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks from 2003 to 2006. He resigned from cabinet in 2006 on a matter of principle after he refused to sign an order that would have transferred lands in Mont Orford Provincial Park to private condominium developers.

A seasoned public administrator, he also served as President of the Office des professions du Québec – where he was appointed by his political mentor Claude Ryan.

Tom Mulcair holds degrees in civil law (B.C.L.) and common law (LL.B.) from McGill University.

He and his wife Catherine are parents to two adult sons, Matthew and Gregory, and two grandchildren, Juliette and Raphaël. http://www.ndp.ca/tommulcair