" Bono 'Crushed' "

[shavonfan]

Bono 'Crushed' by PM's Stance on Global Poverty

CTV, November 25, 2005



Appearing on Parliament Hill, U2 frontman Bono said he's not just disappointed -- he's crushed -- by Prime Minister Paul Martin's failure to commit 0.7 percent of GDP to eliminating global poverty.

With a federal election looming over Ottawa, Bono appealed to the "better nature" of what he called a "better country" to implore their prime minister to make the commitment without further delay.

At a packed press conference Friday afternoon, the outspoken Irish rocker told reporters Martin's reluctance to make the pledge flies in the face of public opinion.

"The Canadian people are ahead of the prime minister on these global poverty issues," Bono said, pointing to a recent EKOS poll that found widespread support for "more of the national purse into the world's poorest countries."

"This is the reason why I'm a fan of Canada," he added.

The fact the opinions of Martin and the Canadian public appear so far apart when it comes to meeting the 0.7 percent aid target set out in the Make Poverty History campaign, he said, have left him mystified and angry.

"I'm not just disappointed, I'm crushed actually," he said, blasting the former finance minister for not finding a way to make the numbers work.

"I'm mystified actually by the man at this point...I just think it's a huge opportunity that he's missing out on."

Conceding the "absurdity" of a rockstar weighing in on such serious political issues, Bono said this issue is simply too dire for him to ignore.

"What we're really talking about is extreme poverty, stupid poverty, a brutal poverty that can't be avoided," he explained. "It's something we just cannot permit."

When asked whether he thought Martin should be punished come election day, Bono warned the PM to expect to pay a political price.

"I think he will hear about it and feel it in the election, I'm absolutely sure of that -- this is not to be underestimated," he said, promising to raise the issue with every political leader he could during his time in the capital.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli has officially declared Friday U2 day in Ottawa, to coincide with a concert event the capital has been anticipating wildly for almost a year.

Since the Ottawa stop in the band's worldwide Vertigo tour was announced, Bono has made no secret the gig carries unusually political overtones.

"Paul Martin asked us to play the gig," Bono said when the date was first confirmed, promising to turn the event into a celebration or protest -- depending on whether or not Martin decided to sign on to spending 0.7 percent of national income on foreign aid.

Bono, who lent his considerable star power to Martin's Liberal leadership victory celebration, has repeatedly described Martin as a "friend."

During an April concert in Vancouver, however, he chastised Martin for breaking a promise to meet the target.


© CTV, 2005.

[shavonfan]

Leona, I was just very curious about your view on this subject. I, for one, appreciate Bono for his effort but do not necessarily take much stock in it.

[ocelot]

The thing is Martin's Liberals have a minority government and that government looks like it will fall in the next month (they are not getting along with the other parties and can agree on only the obvious stuff). I think agree with Bono that the people want this more, but also Canadians realize that Paul Martin doesn't have much control over much right now. I have a feeling his party won't be re-elected even with a minority government because of other things not because of this. I'm sure this is one of the things the public will take into consideration when voting. It's really hard to say yes to something when you know that you are the country's leader but also don't have the power to push things through if you feel it is important. I really hope the other parties are behind this.

I really appreciate Bono's effort too. I feel it is an important issue. I appreciate Bono keeping it in the headlines, it's important to keep it in the minds of Canadians.

[shavonfan]

Yes, I agree. And thank you for the explanation. Bono is good in that he raises the awareness and forces us to think about the issue. He tugs at our conscience, and if we are smart we will not only hear what he is saying but also do what he is doing. It's not enough to just listen to him and want to give. There are a lot of reasons behind giving, and just as many for not giving. But we should all be more like Bono in caring about it and being as informed as possible. I credit him for knowing what it is he's behind, and for caring about it. There are a lot of celebrities who latch onto a cause for lesser reasons. Sometimes I think these celebrities feel lost in their fame and are looking for an identity. I'm not being overly critical when I say that, but they really aren't doing it with the same passion that someone like Bono is. One more thing; there are more issues on the table concerning how to defeat these problems of poverty and disease than just handing out more money that never gets there. So, sometimes not giving more doesn't mean not caring as much!