OTTAWA–American President Barack Obama, soon to visit Canada, has indicated to the Canadian government he is not interested in delivering a speech to the Canadian parliament, a government spokesman confirms.

Up to now, critics have suggested the Conservative government is the one seeking to downplay the visit, prompting criticism, notably by the NDP's Pat Martin, that it would be a "travesty" not to have the wildly popular U.S. president address the Canadian people through Parliament.

Martin had called for the Conservatives to recall Parliament to sit during a scheduled holiday for the Feb. 19 visit.

But Kory Teneycke, communication director for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, confirmed late Wednesday that the decision was made by Obama's people to keep this a "working visit" without any of the pomp and ceremony of a state visit.

The advance team for Obama was in Ottawa last week, and the tentative agenda would see Obama meet briefly with Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, possibly at his arrival at the Ottawa airport, where he is also expected to address U.S. Embassy staff.

But it was the clear preference of the Obama administration to avoid a formal parliamentary address.

In fact, he will not make a major public address on Parliament Hill either, confirmed Teneycke.

Obama is expected, however, to spend the four or five hours he is in Ottawa at Centre Block where he will hold meetings with the Prime Minister, and most likely with the Leader of the Official Opposition, Michael Ignatieff.

"My sense is that they want to get down to business, and they're kind of out of campaign mode (after) the last two years," he said.

"My guess is they probably want a president who is seen down to business and working and not doing an international PR tour."

For Obama fans, few glimpses of the president will likely be possible as Parliament Hill is expected to be largely shut down in the interests of security.

"I know the president is probably the most famous person on the planet right now, but I can certainly understand why they would be less worried about the celebrity factor and more worried about projecting a president at work and spending his time here actually working."

The agenda for the two leaders will be largely focused on the economy. Other items will be energy and the environment, and Afghanistan.