The Situation Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Money well spent, eh? MacKay’s math questioned again as cost of Canadian Libya mission balloons to $347M Allison Cross May 11, 2012 – 2:55 PM ET | Last Updated: May 11, 2012 3:49 PM ET Defence Minister Peter MacKay has been forced to deny allegations he downplayed the true cost of the Canadian mission in Libya, a move the Opposition claims is another example of how the government keeps two sets of books on military spending — one for them and one for the public. Recently released Department of National Defence (DND) documents show the actual cost of last year’s mission in Libya was $35o-million, even though Mr. MacKay told CBC on October 28, three days before the end of the mission, it cost taxpayers less than $50-million. But buried in a report tabled in the House of Commons this week are DND figures pegging the full cost of the mission at more than $347.5-million. Related Canada’s Libya mission cost seven times what Peter MacKay said it did: documentsGovernment withheld key F-35 data to shield full cost from Canadians: watchdog “If we talk about Libya, I think the minister is really bad at math,” NDP MP Christine Moore said in the House of Commons Friday. “His trouble adding has already led us to an underestimation by $10-billion of the cost of the F-35 and now he is repeating it again with the cost of the mission in Libya.” Mr. MacKay called Ms. Moore’s accusations false and said the military incurred further costs after he provided the $50-million figure. “It was as of Oct. 13 … figures that I’ve received from the department were under $50-million,” he said. “Of course, the mission went on. There were extensions. There was in fact then the costs associated with bringing the equipment and personnel home. This is incremental costing.” The Libya mission is the latest in a series of questionable defence costings that have prompted calls for the minister to resign. Mr. MacKay has been under fire in the past few weeks for using incremental costs instead of full costs when reporting the price Canada will pay for the F-35 stealth fighter — a difference of $10-billion. The DND also took heat on Friday for a recent military procurement deal, wherein it appeared to claim a contract for 13 new armoured vehicles was for transmission parts. In early April the government awarded a $105-million contract to a German firm, FFG, to build 13 Leopard armoured engineering vehicles for the Canadian Forces. The only information put out by government was a brief and inaccurate notice stating that the company had been awarded a contract to provide “vehicular power transmission components.” The notice also claimed the deal was only for one item. But defence industry sources say the government is misleading the public; the deal is actually for 13 specialized armoured vehicles, and not transmission parts. “Conservatives tried to use the terms vehicular power transmission components to conceal the fact that they were actually purchasing 13 armoured vehicles,” said Matthew Kellway a Toronto area NDP MP. “Mr. Speaker, they are either trying to hide the billions they are spending or what they’re spending the billions on. Why are the Conservatives misleading Canadians on military procurement?” Mr. MacKay emphasized the investments were posted on MERX, a Canadian public tender website, three years ago, and called the accusations “baseless media and member criticism.” “We’ve been crystal clear on these investments, Mr. Speaker,” said MacKay, adding that the information about the investment was also posted to the public works and national defence websites three years ago. Baseless accusations about the Libya spending and the 13 armoured vehicles arose from “poor research,” the minister said. At the end of Question Period, Mr. MacKay tabled the documents from MERX and the public works and national defence websites, which he says prove the ministry has been open with the public about the military procurement project. National Post, with files from Postmedia News http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/11/defense-minister-rebuffs-suggestion-he-downplayed-cost-of-canadian-mission-in-libya/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyzer Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 The Conservatives... so sad we have so many years left with Harper AND he has a majority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I like how in the private sector this would get people fired but in Gov its just another day at the office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Don't we have any better people to fill these positions ? MacKay comes across like such a wimpy ignorant doofus when he talks about his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Evil Twin Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electro Rock Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Probably another case of adding existing costs to the total for political effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Evil Twin Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 And it was just a case of exercising one's freedom of speech in Cotler's riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Ed Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Well enough Canadians voted these dummies into power. What does that tell you about our country. At least I can tell you I have never voted for Harper or this government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Lombardi 18 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Well enough Canadians voted these dummies into power. What does that tell you about our country. At least I can tell you I have never voted for Harper or this government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Ambien Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Can someone tell me what's so "conservative" about these expenditures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucklehead Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Don't we have any better people to fill these positions ? MacKay comes across like such a wimpy ignorant doofus when he talks about his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I dunno, Don Cherry maybe? He's brash and assertive and loves them good Canadian boys and girls fightin for our freedom and would gladly brag about the true cost of all things military. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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