Harper Greets G8 Leaders

(CBC News)

PM hails U.K. budget cuts ahead of dual summit talks

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has formally welcomed G8 leaders at the organization's annual summit in Huntsville, Ont., where they are expected to discuss global security, and Canada's key initiative on maternal and child health.

The leaders of the seven other Group of Eight leading economic powers — France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, the United States and Russia — are gathering in the exclusive Deerhurst Resort near Huntsville before they join other G20 delegates in Toronto on Saturday.

Ahead of the formal talks, Harper praised Britain's new government for its recent spending cuts, saying British Prime Minister David Cameron's budget “highlighted the very fiscal consolidation” Canada was trying to steer the G20 toward at this weekend's summit in Toronto.

Read more here. Comprehensive information on the G8/G20 Summits at CBC’s In-Depth Coverage website.

Related: UK’s budget vs Japanese experience (BBC Newsnight)