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The federal minister of health says he didn't make funding or policy announcements at the International AIDS Conference because it was becoming difficult to have a “rational discussion.”

During a visit to Nova Scotia on Friday, Tony Clement said that activists and “so-called experts” had started to skew the dialogue towards grandstanding political demands during the weeklong gathering in Toronto.

“That conference in our view was becoming a place where you couldn't have a rational discussion,” he said during an interview.

“It wasn't only the Canadian context. There was a delegate who demanded the resignation of the South African health minister. It was really becoming a very politicized conference. It became a point where it wasn't an appropriate venue.”

During an announcement of the creation of a centre to study the root social causes of disease, Clement commented that his warm welcome at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish was a contrast to Toronto.

The Conservative government came in for criticism during the conference because Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn't attend. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister said the gathering had become too “politicized” for funding announcements.

During the week, Mr. Clement postponed but then didn't reschedule a funding announcement on Canada's contribution to combatting the epidemic.

During a candlelight vigil, he was heckled by members of the crowd as he lit candles in honour of different groups in society that have been greatly affected by AIDS.

By week's end, Mr. Clement said he'd had enough, given that Canada has doubled its domestic funding for AIDS and is about to announce additional funding beyond its current $800 million commitment to the international effort.

“Is there more to do? Yes there is and we'll be announcing that in the near future.”

“I think things were way over the top, at least from some of the so-called experts and people that like to have an opinion on these things,” he said.

“You know the fact of the matter is that Canada was at the conference. We put $6-million to fund the conference. We were present everywhere and I was there for five days out six... I was being part of the give-and-take of the debate.”

The health minister also expressed frustration about criticism of his government's refusal to commit to renew support for North America's only safe-injection site for drug-users in Vancouver.

Mr. Clement said the matter was “a red herring” because it was still under review, and there was never any plan to make an announcement on the site.

Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, has dismissed the prime minister's criticisms as “preposterous.”

“It just shows the chaos of their activity, there's just no focus at all. . . . The Conservatives have known for many months that this conference was coming,” he said earlier this week.

He also said the actions of Ottawa “left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. The entire activist, research, scientific world is now skeptical about Canada's intention and motives.”

An estimated 38.6 million people are living with the disease worldwide, including about 32,000 Canadians.

Since first being recognized on June 5, 1981, AIDS has become one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history, having killed more than 25 million people.