OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien vowed yesterday to press George W. Bush at next week's G8 summit to end his ''stupid'' agricultural subsidies.
Also, he said he is more experienced than the U.S. President and will ensure the meeting's African-development agenda is not usurped by discussions about the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
The Prime Minister has long been preparing to discuss Africa when he hosts leaders of the seven leading industrialized nations, plus Russia's Vladmir Putin, on June 26-27 in Kananaskis, Alta.
''Absolutely. I am the chair. I have more experience [than Mr. Bush]. We'll be two days together and there will be no distraction,'' he said in a CBC-TV interview. ''We are devoted absolutely to [have] the meeting on Africa whatever happens.''
Mr. Chrétien said he will speak out against rising U.S. protectionism, saying it sets back economic reform in Africa, where hundreds of millions live in extreme poverty.
''It makes no sense. You cannot say, 'I am a free trader' and increase subsidies by 80% as they have done in the farming community there. It is kind of stupid,'' he said.
Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance foreign affairs critic, yesterday criticized Mr. Chrétien's language.
Mr. Day said he also opposes U.S. protectionism, but name-calling by the Prime Minister will not convince Mr. Bush to compromise.
''To cast aspersions before [Mr. Bush] even gets to the conference, I would say [shows] a lack of experience in diplomacy,'' he said.
Mr. Day also called on Mr. Chrétien to use the G8 summit to fight for Canadian farmers before he advocates helping farmers in developing nations.
''If he's got such great experience, step to the plate and put Canadian interests first, make sure trade protectionism is dealt with in a significant way,'' he said.
Mr. Bush angered the Prime Minister last month when he signed a 10-year, US$190-billion farm bill that expands subsidies to growers. The subsidies will hurt farmers in Canada and poor countries.
Mr. Chrétien noted that 75% of U.S. farm subsidies benefit only 10% of U.S. farmers, most of whom are wealthy landowners, such as Ted Turner, the vice-chairman of AOL Time Warner Inc., who the Prime Minister said owns one-third of the state of Montana.
The Prime Minister chided European leaders, who also provide heavy subsidies to their farmers, saying it sets off a chain reaction of worldwide protectionism that is harmful to developing countries.
While the G8 leaders are expected to approve a new aid package of up to $20-billion for Africa, Mr. Chrétien said the biggest favour the rich nations could do for Africa's 800 million people is to lower domestic farm subsidies, tariffs and import quotas.
A United Nations report released yesterday found extreme poverty has grown steadily in Africa's poorest countries, with 307 million people living on less than US$1 a day.
''While there is $50-billion a year of aid going to Africa, you know, there is $350-billion dollars a year that the Americans and the Europeans are giving to their farmers to create artificial prices for food. It makes no sense,'' Mr. Chrétien said.
''If you are market-oriented, let the market decide the price of food and if we were to do that then of course the Africans could produce a lot of good food and sell it, and if they were to sell it, they would prosper.''
The World Bank estimates the removal of trade barriers by rich nations would help provide the developing world with $30-billion of income annually. However, it also said trade liberalization within the Third World itself could yield more than $110-billion in extra income for poor countries.
The Prime Minister has said he has the support of several G8 leaders, including Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, to open markets for African goods, but he needs approval from Mr. Bush.
Mr. Chrétien, who has invited influential African leaders to Kananaskis, wants to foster economic development in exchange for democratic reform, known as the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
African leaders have agreed to a plan in which they would try to attract investment by guaranteeing good government, sound economic management and a fair justice system.
''We are not talking charity here. If we help the poorest of the poor to be less poor ... they become consumers. They buy more goods and services from us. They export more products to the world,'' Mr. Chrétien said.
Canada has pledged $500-million to the African Development Fund and Mr. Bush has earmarked $5-billion in overseas aid. Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan have also promised billions of dollars for the fund.
Yesterday, Mr. Bush proposed spending US$500-million to help mothers in Africa and the Caribbean from passing the AIDS virus to their babies.
In Ottawa, Susan Whelan, the Minister for International Co-operation, announced Canada will contribute $34.2-million in emergency funds to the people of southern Africa, where an estimated 16 million suffer from drought, poverty and an AIDS epidemic.
Two million women infected with HIV become pregnant each year, most of them in poor countries. Between one-quarter and one-third transmit the disease to their newborns either during labour or while breast-feeding. There are 2,000 new HIV-infected infants born each day and more than than 8,000 people die of AIDS each day.
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