AIDS ISSUE TOO 'POLITICIZED' TO ANNOUNCE NEW FUNDING INITIATIVES

Harper Says 'Not The Time'

OTTAWA and TORONTO - The Conservative government indicated yesterday
it will delay announcing new plans and funding to fight AIDS until
after this week's conference in Toronto, saying the issue had become
too "politicized."

"Unfortunately, the issue has been so politicized this week that this
is probably not the time for us to make additional announcements,"
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during a visit to Whitehorse
yesterday, according to The Canadian Press.

Mr. Harper has been criticized by delegates and activists for not
attending the conference, although former prime minister Jean
Chretien similarly skipped an earlier conference when it was held in
Vancouver in 1996.

A spokesman for Health Minister Tony Clement said Ottawa "is strongly
committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS and continues to commit a
significant amount of money to this issue.

"Our government is committed to doing more in the future. However,
there are no announcements this week while the issue is so
politicized," spokesman Erik Waddell said in an e-mail. Mr. Waddell
said neither Mr. Clement nor International Co-operation Minister
Josee Verner would make announcements this week.

Both ministers attended the conference and had been expected to make
announcements before it ends today. At a Toronto news briefing,
federal Liberal leader Bill Graham once again criticized Mr. Harper
for not attending the conference.

"I understand that the Prime Minister has now said he is not going to
come because the conference has been politicized," he added. "It's
like blaming the victim but unfortunately the victim in this case is
people dying of HIV around the world."

Mr. Graham also urged Mr. Harper to allow the renewal of a
safe-injection site program for drug users in Vancouver. There are
only two legal safe-injection sites in North America, both located in
Vancouver.

At InSite in Vancouver's Downtown east side, users are given clean
equipment and supervised by medical staff as they inject drugs such
as heroin or cocaine. The centre also offers counselling to drug users.

At issue is a special three-year exemption from federal drug laws
granted by the federal Liberals to InSite.

The exemption expires next month and counsellors at the centre are
waiting for the Harper government to decide whether it will grant an extension.