Bono Meets Australian Treasurer
21 November 2006
Bono Meets Australian Treasurer
Campaigning rocker Bono failed to convince Australia to increase their foreign aid donations during a meeting with the country's treasurer PETER COSTELLO in the capital Canberra today (21NOV06).
The singer is currently touring Australia with U2 and recently invited Prime Minister John Howard to discuss the country's aid expenditure with him, but the leader declined.
Bono is asking Australia to follow other Western nations by giving 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic products to developing countries.
Following his meeting with Costello in Treasury Place, Bono said, "He (Costello) explained it's not a measure of how effective the aid is, I agreed, but if the aid is effective, 0.7 is a commitment that can transform hundreds of thousands, millions of lives."
Costello added, "It was a very warm and positive discussion and I'm very, very pleased that I did it. He said he understood our focus on getting rid of corruption and corrupt regimes and I think we're in total agreement that until you can show that all aid is being used properly, there's no point in engaging in more of it."
Earlier this month (NOV06), Howard attacked crusading celebrities, such as Bono, declaring, "Leaders of pop culture... some of those commentators are not so ready to acknowledge the extraordinarily large number, the billions of people in this region and in other parts of the Asia region, that have been lifted from poverty over the last 25 years as a result of the application of the principles of innovation and globalisation."
The singer is currently touring Australia with U2 and recently invited Prime Minister John Howard to discuss the country's aid expenditure with him, but the leader declined.
Bono is asking Australia to follow other Western nations by giving 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic products to developing countries.
Following his meeting with Costello in Treasury Place, Bono said, "He (Costello) explained it's not a measure of how effective the aid is, I agreed, but if the aid is effective, 0.7 is a commitment that can transform hundreds of thousands, millions of lives."
Costello added, "It was a very warm and positive discussion and I'm very, very pleased that I did it. He said he understood our focus on getting rid of corruption and corrupt regimes and I think we're in total agreement that until you can show that all aid is being used properly, there's no point in engaging in more of it."
Earlier this month (NOV06), Howard attacked crusading celebrities, such as Bono, declaring, "Leaders of pop culture... some of those commentators are not so ready to acknowledge the extraordinarily large number, the billions of people in this region and in other parts of the Asia region, that have been lifted from poverty over the last 25 years as a result of the application of the principles of innovation and globalisation."
Contactmusic
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