Liberals make convention elevation revelation
Irish rocker to speak (Cover of National Post)
By: Alexander Panetta
Ottawa-Pop superstar Bono is expected to be a marquee attraction at
the Liberal party's convention next week, adding glitter to what has
been so far a lacklustre leadership race.
The U2 frontman is expected to make a guest speech at an evening
party where Liberals will celebrate the coronation of Paul Martin as
the federal pary leader.
The Irish rocker was wooed by the Martin campaign in an attempt to
spice up the victory celebration his organizers expect to hold a week
from Friday.
Bono's appearance would add star power to an event that is seen as
such a foregone conclusion that the Liberal party has had trouble
attracting delegates to attend.
A Martin campaign sourch who did not want to be identified said Bono
was expected to appear, and that eh would speak to the thousands of
Liberal delegates.
The prospect of Bono, with the trademark bug's eye sungalsses,
attending a partisan political event in Toronto is not as implausible
as it sounds.
The Grammy-winning singer has met with Jean Cretien, the outgoing
Prime Minister, and Mr. Paul Martin in the past.
Bono has talked extensively with Mr. Martin about a cause they share:
relieving Third World debt. In 2000, the irish rocker was brimming
with praise for the then-finance minister's zeal for easing the
burden of debt on the poorer countries.
"He [Mr. Martin] struck me as more than a money man, actually, he had
some vision about it," Bono said at the time.
"Canada doesn't have the size of debt that some of the other major
players have, but for that reason, I think it has a chance to speak
out and to take the moral high ground on this issue and we're really
grateful to Paul Martin for that."
In addition to spurring interest in a drama-free convention, a Bono
appearance would hammer home a message that Martin organizers have
been trying to convey for months.
They want to portray the arrival of the 65-year-old prime minister-in-
waiting as a changing of the generational guard from the retiring Mr.
Chretien, who is just four years Mr. Martin's senior.
In contrast, the outgoing Mr. Chretien will have 1950's crooner Paul
Anka and jazz legends Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones performing at
his going-away party.
The Canadian Press
