Harper to skip AIDS conference
Decision dismays organizers of Toronto event
Bad message to world, meeting co-chair says
Jul. 28, 2006
Joseph Hall
STAFF REPORTER/Toronto Star
International AIDS conference officials expressed dismay this week after receiving official word that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would not be attending the attendance record-breaking Toronto summit next month.
Saying it sends a bad message to the world about Canada's commitment to fighting the disease, officials hoped Harper would yet change his mind at the 11th hour.
"It will send a signal that this government perhaps is not fully committed to the fight against HIV and AIDS," Dr. Mark Wainberg, co-chair of the 16th International AIDS Conference, said of Harper's absence.
"HIV/AIDS kills 5,000 people a day, compare that with any current war taking place as an example."
Wainberg says conference officials fear Harper's absence might discourage other heads of state or high-profile guests from attending the Aug.13-18 conference.
While it had been widely reported Harper would skip what is expected to be the largest gathering of AIDS experts in history, his office officially replied to the invitation on Monday, said Darryl Perry, executive director of the AIDS 2006 Toronto Local Host Secretariat.
Governor General Michaëlle Jean will open the conference Sunday, Aug. 13 at a gala ceremony attended by international dignitaries and capped by a star-studded rock concert.
Among the guests will be Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, who will give the keynote speech, and his wife Melinda, former U.S. president Bill Clinton and actor Richard Gere.
Wainberg said Harper could have satisfied organizers by simply showing up and welcoming delegates at the opening event.
"All we would want would be for him to be at the opening ceremony and to say how committed Canada continues to be in the fight against AIDS," he said.
Dimitri Soudas, a spokesperson with the Prime Minister's Office, said Harper "gets thousands of invitations and he can't attend all the events he's invited to."
Soudas says Ottawa will instead be represented by Health Minister Tony Clement and International Co-operation Minister Josée Verner.
Conference organizers expect some 25,000 people will be attending the meeting, roughly 9,000 more than the last two international AIDS conferences - Bangkok in 2004 and Barcelona in 2002.
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Toronto Star - Editorial/Opinion.
"Reproduced with permission - Torstar Syndication Services"
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