Bono has met with Peter Costello to discuss issues surrounding Australia's commitment to foreign aid, urging the Federal Treasurer to increase aid to 0.7 per cent GDP.
Bono used the 0.7 per cent figure as "a measure of how serious you are [in fighting global poverty]". He went on, "He [Costello] explained it's not a measure of how effective the aid is, I agreed, but if the aid is effective 0.7 is a commitment that can transform hundreds of thousands, millions of lives."With Mr Costello concerned about the effectiveness of sending aid to corrupt regimes, Bono added, "But I pointed him in the direction of programs which are very clearly effective, like the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria."
The two spoke for around an hour, with Mr Costello telling reporters, "He was very complimentary of Australian economic management and the progress that he's observed in the Australian economy.
"We talked of aid, the importance of aid effectiveness, the importance of rooting out corruption."
Mr Costello went on describe the meeting with the U2 frontman as a "warm discussion".
Bono made a special appearance at last Friday's Make Poverty History concert in Melbourne, with he and U2 guitarist The Edge joining Pearl Jam for a rousing rendition of Neil Young's 'Rocking In The Free World'.
The Treasurer's brother, Rev. Tim Costello, spoke at the event, telling the 14,000 strong crowd, "I do have a brother. That brother, along with both sides of politics, has failed to see with the same moral clarity what your generation gets.
"This is how our politicians govern, they wet their finger, they put it up to the air and they say 'which way is the wind blowing'?
"Make Poverty History is about all of you changing the direction of the wind and saying 'this is where its blowing'."
