Stephen Harper Is Too Busy For Bono

Bono's phone call to the prime minister's office was ignored this week when he tried to arrange a meeting with Stephen Harper

A spokesperson for Harper said that the leader's schedule is simply too packed because of the G8 summit that started on Wednesday, but he'd be willing to meet him at a later date. Interestingly, G8 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President George W. Bush have both had time to meet with Bono during the summit.

Bono had hoped to talk about Canada's commitment to helping Africa. In the '60s, Canada planned to start donating 0.7 per cent of its gross domestic product to international aid. Decades later, Canada hasn't even met half of that goal. The government has also been accused of failing to meet aid commitments made at the 2005 summit in Scotland and trying to hold back the G8's attempts to increase financial support for Africa.

Harper claims that he'd rather meet with world leaders than celebrities, but it's no secret that Bono is more than just a singer. The recently knighted U2 frontman has spent time in struggling African communities and taken part in multiple charity events. Many world leaders, including former Canadian PM Paul Martin, have taken the time to meet with the Irish activist.