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How quickly we forget...this is ONE point that Martin hasn't fulfilled...but I wouldn't expect the Liberal bashers to bother looking anything up or to compliment the current and previous Liberal administration for what they HAVE done.
Try doing more than just posting today's newspaper headlines  I found some info with a 15 second Google search.
It's all too typical of you guys though...bash bash bash, without anything positive to say. To clarrify, this commitment of 0.7% GDP was made TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO and BY SEVERAL NATIONS according to Bono's original speech:
http://www.u2world.com/news/article...d_article=20279
| quote: | "Now as regards to the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nothing-at-alls, I’m going to get a little technical with you, wonkish even. So this bit is not for everybody...This bit is for Paul Martin. The richest countries in the world made a promise 25 years ago to give 0.7 per cent of their GDP to the poorest of the poor. Yet throughout the 1990s, a period of unimaginable wealth and prosperity, as a percentage of national income, we gave less and less and less. This is sad, this is true.
Canada, at the moment, is at 0.29 of its GDP, of its national income, that’s about what? For every dollar of national income, it’s like one-third of a cent, or something like that. Your next-door neighbour, mind you, is at 0.15 per cent. This is not good. Europe, on the other hand, averages at about ..33. What do you think of that? That’s not good enough either. We’ve got to get to point seven. We’ve got to reach the millennium development goals, which are to halve global poverty by the year 2015, so I’m going to keep talking to Paul Martin. I feel confident he’s going to make that journey." |
So be sure to save some of your ire for Europe and the U.S. instead of just pinning this on Martin. I have not looked up what has happened in those countries since this speech...you guys can do some research of your own since you brought this up.
On debt relief and improving low cost drug access to poor nations:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...s_name=&no_ads=
| quote: | ...
"Paul Martin took my phone calls, he promised to help and he kept that promise," Bono said. "Jean Chretien did the same, it's not just about keeping a promise to me, it's about keeping a promise to the most vulnerable people on earth and I am grateful for that."
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"In the past, Chretien and Bono have worked together on the issue of debt relief for developing countries. The social activist lavished praise on Canada in a letter to Chretien after he promised low-cost drugs to African nations."
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"Paul Martin asked me to come and offered me 15 minutes of the national airwaves to talk about what is on my mind," Bono told CFTO News ahead of his appearance.
"Canada has made some real progress recently with Chretien and Paul Martin. On the debt stuff, Paul Martin was there for me ... he always talked to me, he was very encouraging and very helpful," Bono said.
"Prime Minister Chretien was very good on trade. Now, recently they have been working on a way to get cheaper drugs to people in Africa," Bono said. "I want to applaud that, I want to have a good time, have a drink, take a walk."
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Here's some more:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/.../454198-cp.html
| quote: | Days before Canada is set to pass a law allowing the production of low-cost drugs, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced a $100-million contribution to treat millions of people who have AIDS.
The money will be given to a new initiative of the World Health Organization to treat three million people with AIDS by the end of 2005. The contribution of new money has made Canada the largest donor in the program.
"Canadians can take pride in this, because this is a question of life and death." Martin told a Montreal audience Monday.
The money will be used to train doctors and nurses and help countries develop treatment plans and strategies.
Rock star Bono welcomed Canada's commitment.
"This is real leadership," the lead singer of the Irish group U2 said in a statement. "I hope Canadians will know what this means in the rest of the world." |
I found this info in 1 minute with a Google search. Google is your friend. I'm busy at work and don't have time to really read through all this stuff...just posted SOME info above to demonstrate that too many people here are more interested in throwing stones than really looking at the issues they bring up.
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