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Anger at Ottawa's AIDS stance
Anger greets Conservatives' decision to call off big funding announcement
Aug. 18, 2006. 08:01 AM
RITA DALY, TANYA TALAGA AND JOSEPH HALL
STAFF REPORTERS
The Canadian government was roundly condemned on all fronts yesterday for missing a prime opportunity to show political leadership in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
Delegates, top AIDS researchers and advocates slammed the Stephen Harper government for reneging on a promise to announce significant HIV/AIDS funding at the world's largest AIDS conference, which wraps up in Toronto today.
There was much confusion earlier in the week when federal Health Minister Tony Clement suddenly postponed an announcement minutes before the scheduled time. But yesterday confusion turned to anger when it was learned no announcement was forthcoming this week.
Clement's office said the International AIDS Conference had become too "politicized" and that they would make an announcement within several weeks.
"This government has politicized this conference by its mere absence," said an angry Dr. Julio Montaner, one of Canada's leading AIDS researchers and president-elect of the International AIDS Society.
"This is not about politics, this is about people dying," he said.
Last night, Clement refused to elaborate on why the government felt the conference was no longer the right venue for an announcement.
The Prime Minister "is absolutely committed to a new announcement soon," he told reporters before co-hosting a Canada-Ontario reception downtown for AIDS delegates.
Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman expressed disappointment there wasn't a more forceful message from Canada, but cautioned against making it sound like a disaster.
"This has still been a very good conference," he said. "At the end of the week, I'm going to look back and say, `Yes, that was an opportunity wasted.' But at the same time, there's a really good vibe here."
Montaner said his greatest regret is that 26,000 participants return to their countries today, unable to hold up as an example to their own political leaders one of the world's biggest democracies' commitment to AIDS.
The federal Conservatives have come under fire on several fronts since the start of the six-day event. Conference co-chair Dr. Mark Wainberg blasted Harper at the opening ceremonies for turning down an invitation to attend. Then the government became caught in controversy over its failure to deliver cheap HIV drugs to Africa despite legislation passed two years ago.
Wainberg, director of the McGill University AIDS Centre, was more restrained in his remarks yesterday upon hearing of the funding cancellation.
"I think it's possible the government of Canada did not anticipate the impact of this conference, the importance of this conference, and we should give them some breathing room," he said.
Wainberg said he would prefer an announcement later that offers major new funding to one sooner that's perhaps less generous.
However, Stephen Lewis, the UN's special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, didn't hold back his disappointment at the government's performance this week. He called the move to cancel one of "petulance" and based largely on the Prime Minister's irritation at being criticized earlier in the conference over his refusal to attend.
"Obviously if they announce two weeks from now it's not going to diminish what they do, but they've left a sour taste in everyone's mouth.
"The entire activist, research, scientific world is now skeptical about Canada's intentions and motives."
Lewis said he was actually told by government officials how much money the Conservatives were poised to pledge, an amount that would have dwarfed anything offered previously by this country. Harper could have looked like a hero if he'd actually followed up with an announcement, he said.
Ottawa has donated $800 million to global AIDS efforts since 2000. It committed $68 million to Canadian AIDS research for 2006-2007.
Interim Liberal Leader Bill Graham, who attended the Sunday opening ceremonies and sat with Toronto Mayor David Miller, said people genuinely regretted Harper's absence.
"What an opportunity that is lost," he said at the conference yesterday. "I think we have to recognize the art of politics is the art of inspiring people to rise above petty differences and genuinely help people."
Bloc MP Réal Ménard, who personally competed in the Outgames in Montreal where Public Works Minister Michael Fortier was booed by the crowd, told the Star's Graham Fraser he could understand Harper's decision not to attend the conference.
"But I really don't understand his decision to delay the funding announcement," he said.
The Prime Minister's office would not comment yesterday.
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source:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...72154&t=TS_Home
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