Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes part in the G8/G20 National Youth Caucus in Ottawa on May 17, 2010.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The Prime Minister is personally taking his government's campaign against a bank tax to London and Paris next week in his last set of meetings in advance of the G8 and G20 summits. Stephen Harper will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London and with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on a three-day trip that begins next Wednesday.
This will be the Prime Minister's first encounter with Mr. Cameron since the British Conservative Leader formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. Mr. Harper met previously with Mr. Cameron when he was in opposition under Gordon Brown and was one of the first world leaders to congratulate him on his victory over the Labour Party.
The quick visit to Britain and France is expected to be his last overseas trip before the G8 and G20 summits next month in Huntsville, Ont., and Toronto. The Prime Minister's focus, an official said, will be on the economy and the currently bleak situation in Europe and Britain. Earlier this week, Mr. Cameron announced deep cuts to deal with a huge deficit.
Also top of mind is the recent push by the United States and the European Union for the G20 to back a bank levy. The Harper government opposes this, arguing countries like Canada that had no role in causing the financial meltdown should not face a punitive tax.
Senior cabinet ministers recently took that message around the world, from India to China to the United States. Mr. Harper will be saying the same thing in person when he talks to British and French leaders.
The Prime Minister could also bring up the maternal health initiative, which has proven to be controversial here as his government has said it will not include funding for safe access to abortion in developing countries. Former British foreign secretary David Milliband had supported U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's view that abortion should be part of G8 proposal, but it's not clear if Mr. Cameron's government will hold the same view.