Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not be calling Bono for advice it seems.

The Irish rock star turned poverty activist met U.S. President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a Group of Eight summit but was told Harper was too busy to talk to him.

Harper told reporters on Thursday that meeting Bono was not a priority.

"I've got to say that meeting celebrities isn't kind of my shtick, that was the shtick of the previous guy," said Harper in a dig at his Liberal predecessor Paul Martin, who met Bono regularly.

"I hope we do it at some point but my principle focus in public policies is not kind of to meet celebrities," added the prime minister, a Conservative.

Activists say Canada is trying to block a deal to ensure that western nations live up to promises to boost aid to Africa.

For the record, though, Harper said he liked the music of Bono's band U2.

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Thats a nice soundbite isn't it?  "I have no interest in Bono's efforts to relieve  world poverty, but I do like his music!"