Prime Minister Paul Martin shouldn't bother going to the G-8 summit in Scotland in July unless he plans to increase aid to impoverished African nations, Bob Geldof said Tuesday.

Geldof said Canada should take leadership on this issue, and up its contributions to the levels set out by Lester B. Pearson 35 years ago. Pearson set a goal of allocating 0.7 per cent of the GDP for aid.

"There is no use in your prime minister coming to Scotland, unless he is prepared to do this deal," Geldof said to a Canadian audience via satellite Tuesday.

"If he's not prepared, stay at home. Just stay at home. Don't come.

"You're not welcome unless you are prepared to do something finally and irrevocably on behalf of the poor of this world," said Geldof, the organizer of the series of global anti-poverty concerts.

Geldof made the comments as it was announced that the Canadian Live 8 concert would be held in Barrie, Ont., north of Toronto.

Martin responded to the comments in question period Tuesday, at the urging of NDP leader Jack Layton.

Martin says he supports the 0.7 per cent goal but he says it's just as important for governments to say how they'll achieve the goal.

"I believe in the 0.7 and I would very much like to see Canada get there by the year 2015. But I'm not going to make a commitment that I'm not sure the government will be able to keep.

"Too often commitments are made on the grounds of photo ops and I will not do that."

The Live 8 concerts -- to be held around the world on July 2 -- are the brainchild of Geldof. They are meant to spur leaders of the G-8 group of wealthy nations to increase aid to impoverished nations when they meet in Perthshire, Scotland from July 6 to 8.

While Canada has the smallest population of all G-8 countries, it is the only country among the group to make a fiscal profit over the last few years. Geldof said that is one reason why Canada must take the lead on this issue.

As well, many of the proposals on Africa to be discussed at the Scotland summit come directly from plans outlined at the G-8 summit in 2002 in Kananaskis, Alta.

"There is every reason why they should take leadership of these issues because you proposed it 35 years ago, and you proposed it again at your own summit in Kananaskis," Geldof said of Canada.

Geldof joins U2 frontman Bono in pressing Martin to up aid to Africa.

Bono told a crowd at a Vancouver concert in April that he was disappointed that Martin had not yet delivered on a commitment to raise Canada's foreign aid spending to 0.7 per cent of the country's GDP by 2015.

Ottawa has pledged to boost its international aid budget by eight per cent each year, with the goal of someday reaching the 0.7 per cent level.

Meanwhile, finance ministers of the G8 who met earlier in June agreed to cancel at least $40 billion US worth of debt owed by poor, developing countries.

Geldof, who organized Live Aid concerts for African famine relief in 1985, said that is a great first step.

"Now the pathway is cleared to make a historic doubling of aid to Africa, which is precisely what is needed," Geldof said.

The Live 8 concert in Barrie will feature acts such as Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan, Bachman Cummings Band, Deep Purple and Motley Crue.

Live 8 concerts are also confirmed for London, Berlin, Philadelphia, Paris and Rome. Another concert has been scheduled for Scotland on July 6, as leaders of the G-8 meet at the Gleneagles Hotel.