OK, Ok, that headline slightly distorts things but, on the eve of a major international AIDS conference to be held in Toronto, Canada’s New Government — as they call themselves everywhere but on this press release — announce that the government committed $150,000 to a Canadian Labour Congress initiative to help fight AIDS in the workplace. You’ll recall that earlier this week, we learned that Bill Gates will be donating $500–million (U.S.) over five years to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The office of Jean Pierre Blackburn, Canada’s Labour Minister, issued this release Friday afternoon at 5:30 pm. (Check the time stamp on the release here and here). As a reasonably diligent reporter, I had some questions about this release but you won’t be surprised to learn that when I called both the telephone numbers at the bottom of the press release at 5:40 pm, there was no answer, it being late on a Friday afternoon in midsummer.
“Canada’s New Government” is already coming under fire for the failure of the Prime Minister to attend the conference opening this weekend in Toronto. More than 26,000 scientists and researchers and activists from around the world will be there but not Stephen Harper. Instead, he’ll be winning votes in Iqualuit and Alert.
I’m co-hosting CTV’s Question Period on Sunday and I can tell you that the Harper government’s support for this conference and for the fight against AIDS will be something we’ll be talking about.
UPDATE: At 5:45 pm, I'd left a message on the “after-hours” media relations with the Department of Human Resources (there is no Department of Labour with the federal government so Blackburn is one of the ministers affiliated with Human Resources and Development Canada). I am pleased to say that at 6:13 pm a media relations officer with the department phoned me back. Unfortunately, the individual was not able to answer my questions but took them down and promised to find the answers.
UPDATE: 6:46 pm and I'm going home.
In the meantime, yet one more press release from the Harper government having to do with the AIDS conference. This one came out at 6:42 pm on a Friday, to announce that Minister of International Co-operation Josee Verner will speak at the AIDS conference tomorrow and make herself available to the press if we have any questions.
And finally: A very diligent media relations person with the department tracked me down on my cell phone at about 7:15 pm this evening and was able to answer my questions. From first call at around 5:40 pm to answer about 90 minutes later is very fast — and on a Friday evening, to boot!
One of the things I wanted to know was: Why put this out at 5:30 pm on a Friday? Answer: Minister Blackburn was actually giving a speech announcing this funding at that time of day and, as is usual practice, Ministers don't like to be scooped so this was released as soon as Blackburn began his remarks.