Bono goes to Bytown!

If Paul Martin was hoping for an endorsement from one of the world’s most popular rock stars, then he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.

Bono landed in Ottawa today, on a day the locals declared was U2 Day in Ottawa. The band of Irish rockers prepared on Friday, to make good on a promise to play the capital made back when Paul Martin and Bono were more or less on the same song page. It seems that things aren’t quite as familiar these days, those harmonies are a little off and they're playing the wrong chords. Bono declaring in Martin's own backyard, that he was crushed by the guy that calls 24 Sussex Drive home and his reticence in reaching out to dedicate 0.7 of Canada’s GDP to eliminate poverty.

Bono took advantage of his Parliament Hill appearance to once again issue his plea for relief for the world’s poorest regions. He urged Canada to step up to the benchmark first raised by Lester Pearson in the late sixties, an initiative for the world’s richest nations to dedicate a portion of their GDP to assisting parts of the world in dire need of assistance. Of course, since those halcyon days of global thinking Canada (like all other rich countries) has stumbled in its dedication to the goals as outlined by Pearson.

Bono may be crushed by our leader but he still has high hopes for the nation. Proclaiming that he was a fan of Canada he pointed out that Canadians are fully in favor of the idea of helping others. He made mention of a recent Ekos poll in September, that stated an increasing number of Canadians were ahead of their government in their desire to spend Canadian tax dollars in aid of desperate nations.. A situation that has not been acted upon by the government and one that the U2 front man finds baffling; as he put it Martin mystifies him in his reluctance to take the lead in the battle against world poverty despite Canada's large budget surpluses.

With a Canadian election about to be declared next week, Bono didn’t weigh in too heavily on political preferences (there’s still hope there Paul), though he did suggest that Canadians ask those looking for their votes to be upfront on their thoughts on world poverty and how to end it. While it would be nice to think that Canadians would put such an issue on the front burner of an election, it isn’t likely to happen.

If one looks at the avalanche of spending announcements in this run up to an election that has not even been called yet, foreign aid and foreign issues merit neither a line of policy, nor a dollar of increased assistance (Not to mention the poverty in our own country that has yet to be properly addressed). It is a situation that is more than a bit shameful, considering the obscene amounts of monies offered up to the voters in the last week.

When the concert was first announced, Bono said that the event would either be a night of celebration or one of protest, depending on the progress of the 0.7 initiative. Judging by his words on the Hill on Friday, it’s more likely going to be the latter.

If Mr. Martin is a wise man, he’ll stay away from the telephone tonight, U2 have a habit of urging their concert goers to use their cel phones to register a protest by calling the number on the overhead screen, usually the office number of a government official. Perhaps like a certain Prime Minister that is hesitant to take the 0.7 plunge.

Instead perhaps the Prime Minister should slip on the headphones and listen to a few tunes from what is supposed to be his favorite band. Grab the iPod Paul, (the U2 special edition of course) and check out these tunes from How to build an Atomic Bomb; Crumbs from your table, All Because of you and Sometimes you can’t make it on your own. Music that should give him cause for inspiration, contemplation and maybe even one day some consolation.