Printed from the Review
Clinton raves about Niagara
Former president opens economic summit
Posted By MONIQUE BEECH
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton put out the call to action to better the world Tuesday evening to a riveted crowd of business, education and political leaders at the opening night of the Ontario Economic Summit.
Clinton, who gave the opening address of the three-day forum, offered three “primary challenges” he said need to be addressed to ensure a future for the world’s children.
Addressing inequality at home and abroad, cleaning up the environment and addressing conflicts between cultural groups are key to the future of the world, Clinton told the capacity crowd at the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The world is becoming more interconnected with globalization and all of society should benefit from it, Clinton said.
“Half the world lives with $2 a day and haven’t been touched by globalization,” Clinton said.
Clinton, who was the 42nd U.S. president and served between 1993 and 2001, commended Canada on several fronts from the country’s fiscal responsibility to sending troops to Afghanistan to fight al-Qaida and bring stability to the country and to public health care.
“Half of personal bankruptcies are due to health care emergencies,” said Clinton, urging Canadians to fight for their public system at all costs.
But the 61-year-old cautioned that the world’s oil industries, including Canada’s, needs to focus on sustainable biofuels and other alternatives to clean up the environment.
If not, “the worst predictions on global warming will come true,” Clinton said.
More private businesses need to figure out how to make money off climate change and government needs to offer tax incentives to make it happen, he said.
Using Wal-Mart as an example, Clinton spoke of steps the company took to reduce plastic toy packaging – which saved money and cut down on energy use.
“We can only make this work if we prove this is good business.”
Clinton said conflicting identities in today’s interdependent world also need to be tackled.
Groups need to understand that by respecting other people’s identities, they’re preserving the right to have their own, he said. Clinton’s charitable organization, the William J. Clinton Foundation, sponsors several causes including treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, and encouraging the world’s leaders, business executives and others to tackle pressing foreign challenges.
As well, the foundation addresses climate change, and economic opportunity to help small business owners and entrepreneurs in poor inner city markets.
The fourth annual Ontario Economic Summit, organized by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, runs until Thursday at the White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa.
The summit is a forum for leaders across Ontario in the fields of business, labour, education, labour and government to inspire each other to seize new economic opportunities around the globe.
This year’s program aims to explore how Ontario can be an international steward while staying prosperous at home.
RETURN VISIT FOR THE CLINTONS?
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – It seems Niagara has a new high-profile fan.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton couldn’t say enough about Niagara-on-the-Lake or what he called an “incredibly beautiful community.”
Clinton, who was the keynote speaker at the opening of the Ontario Economic Summit in Niagara-on-the-Lake, said his wife, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, often visits Niagara on the U.S. side.
Clinton told the capacity crowd at the Shaw Festival Theatre that he had to fly to Washington immediately following his speech to be with Hillary, who is vying to represent the Democrats in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
She has a big speech coming up, Clinton said, and “she likes to talk before these things.
“I’ll tell you, if she does really well at the primaries, I’m going to bring her back here.”
Article ID# 775189
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