Thursday, October 09, 2008

The $18.1B clusterfuck.


Good morning, Canadian voters!

$18.1B: Cost of Afghan war by 2011

OTTAWA - A lack of federal government "fiscal transparency" has masked the true cost of Canada's Afghanistan mission, but it could cost taxpayers at least $18.1 billion by 2011, the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed Thursday.

"At least"? Why don't we know more exactly? Ah:

Although the report cites a range of $13.9- to $18.1-billion to 2011, several relevant departments - including Foreign Affairs and the Canadian International Development Agency, the military's two main partners in Afghanistan - refused to give Page's office additional figures...

In addition to Foreign Affairs and CIDA, the Correctional Service of Canada and Veterans Affairs all declined to share internal data with Page's office, which was established this past spring to bring a greater degree of oversight to public spending.

The Stephen Harper Party of Canada: Campaigning on a platform of transparency and accountability, then telling you that you can just fuck right off.

READ IT and weep.

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