Canadians believe Bono, not their PM

Posted By Mike Boyer Monday, June 18, 2007 - 2:30 PM Share

Frontman Bono of Irish supergroup U2 drew thousands for a book signing in Dublin.

Note to world leaders: Spurn Bono at your own risk. Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper refused to meet with the world's most powerful rocker-activist at the G-8 meeting in Germany. "I've got to say that meeting celebrities isn't kind of my shtick ... my principle focus in public policies is not kind of to meet celebrities," Harper said at the time. Bono fired back that Harper had "blocked progress" on aid for Africa and was "out of sync" with his constituents.

Now the Canadian public has weighed in, and they find Bono to be more credible than their own prime minister. Forty-eight percent of Canadians believe Bono when he says that their country is obstructing efforts to get aid to Africa. Just 28 percent believe Harper when he says he isn't. Sixty percent of Canadians agree with Bono that Harper is out of sync with the country.

Looking at these results, you can help but wonder whether Bono has become too powerful.

EXPLORE:NORTH AMERICA, DEVELOPMENT, FOREIGN AID

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