Ask Jean Chrétien if next week's G8 summit, with its African assistance plan, will enter the history books as his political legacy and you get an exasperated reaction.
"I don't give a damn about legacy," the prime minister fumed in an interview. "A legacy is something for when you die and you cannot read it any more. The last thing you should do is to be preoccupied about what they'll say about you when you're not there."
But there's little doubt Mr. Chrétien is looking to the G8 summit next week in Kananaskis as a welcome respite from the leadership woes and Quebec contract scandals that have engulfed his government in recent months.
The two-day meeting of eight world leaders will focus on three major areas -- a comprehensive self-help plan to boost trade, investment and aid for Africa; the continued fight against global terrorism; and the group's attention on anemic economies in some parts of the world, notably the United States.
But it's the Africa initiative that possesses Mr. Chrétien, who is chairing his second G8 summit after the 1995 Halifax edition, a modest $25-million event that has escalated into an estimated $300-million spectacle in Kananaskis, or roughly $10 million per hour, including sleep time.
The prime minister defends the seemingly indefensible cost of the 36-hour meeting, a particularly jarring contrast when you consider Canada's new long-term aid commitment to Africa is only $500 million.
Most of the tab will be gobbled up for security with armed forces and police manpower costs that would have been incurred in any event, the prime minister says.
"You're a member of the G8 or you're not a member of the G8. When you host it, you have no choice. You are responsible for the security of the people who are coming and the Americans don't take that lightly."
He predicts any protest in Calgary will be "orderly" -- nothing like 2001 host Genoa, Italy, where riot police shot and killed a protester amid large-scale, violent public demonstrations.
"We don't have an indication of big problems at this time," he said. "It will be a great opportunity for Calgary. All the newspapers of the world will be giving the city a lot of attention because of the African file."
Mr. Chrétien ordered the Kananaskis summit scaled back dramatically from the billion-dollar Genoa meeting in 2001. He told the Americans last year's 1,000-person delegation would have to be slashed to just 40 essential aides at the Kananaskis session.
"They said it wouldn't work, but I said there's no room," Mr. Chrétien said. "The president was happy with that because he doesn't want to be responsible for 1,000 people, most of them bureaucrats. We don't need briefings, so there will be no bureaucrats with us. The conversations will be very easy."
Amid signs the United States and others might want to switch the summit focus to terrorism in the wake of dirty bomb threats, Middle East violence and attacks on American counsel in Pakistan, Mr. Chrétien says he will not be deterred from the Africa agenda. "I said that other issues will not take over and I'm the chair."
The African proposal commits the eight industrialized countries to help accelerate growth, attract investment and deliver health care assistance to the more democratized countries of Africa, and the summit will culminate two years of scouting by the Canadian government, which was assigned the lead role in developing the plan with African leaders.
"If we can restart Africa and help the poorest of the poor, it will be a good social thing to do, but a good economic thing for us to do as well," Mr. Chrétien said. "When you are improving the lot of 800 million people, they buy goods and services from you."
Mr. Chrétien aims to add some rock star sizzle to an agenda largely devoid of public events or news releases. "My friend Bono (lead singer of U2) will be around," he said.
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