Bono talks poverty with Australian treasurer

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2006

SYDNEY (AFP) — Irish rocker Bono met Australian Treasurer Peter Costello to lobby for increasing Canberra's foreign aid, days after Prime Minister John Howard took a swipe at "popular culture" anti-poverty campaigners. The U2 frontman, currently touring in Australia, spent about an hour discussing the issue with Costello, who last weekend chaired the G20 meeting of world economic leaders.

Bono said he urged Costello to increase Australia's foreign aid commitment to 0.7 percent of gross domestic product, in line with commitments from other industrialised nations. "Australia will get to 0.7 (percent), 0.7 is just a measure of how serious you are," he told reporters after visiting Costello in Melbourne. "He (Costello) explained it's not a measure of how effective the aid is, I...