Canada's efforts in Afghanistan will carry a total price tag of about $14-billion to $18-billion by the time troops are withdrawn in 2011, about $1,500 extra for every household in Canada, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page reported Thursday.
"Mr. Page's report says the real extra cost of the Canadian military mission — over and above would have been spent for the upkeep of the military anyway — is billions more than Ottawa has estimated, and perhaps almost twice as high," according to a Globe and Mail article Price tag of Canada's Afghanistan mission: up to $18-billion
"Ottawa has so far reported that extra "incremental" cost for the military mission alone, to the end of the 2007-08 fiscal year, has been about $3.8-billion. Mr. Page says it has been somewhere between $5.85-billion and $7.45-billion."
We are pleased that fledgling politician and leading foreign affairs scholar Michael Byers was online to answer your questions about the report, and an earlier report (Cost of Afghan war will reach $20.70 billion, group says) by the Rideau Institute on the costs of the Afghanistan mission.
Michael Byers (Canadian Press)
Related Articles
Internet Links
- Report of Parliamentary Budget Officer (pdf)
- Rideau Institute briefing paper (pdf)
- The Manley report on Canada's mission in Afghanistan (pdf)
- Full coverage: Canada's Mission in Afghanistan
Mr. Byers is running under the New Democratic Party banner in the federal riding of Vancouver-Centre against long-time Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry.
Mr. Byers holds a Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues. Prior to July 2004, he was a tenured Professor of Law and Director of Canadian Studies at Duke University. From 1996-1999, he was a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford University. His work focuses on the interaction of international law and international politics, especially with regard to international organizations, the use of military force, the law of the sea, human rights and Canada-United States relations. He is the author of Intent for a Nation: What is Canada For? and War Law: Understanding International Law and Armed Conflict.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question/comment. Comments/questions may be edited for length or clarity. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions/comments that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.
Estanislao Oziewicz, Foreign Editor, globeandmail.com: Michael, it's nice of you to participate in this discussion today, especially given the busy campaign you're running. Speaking of which, I'd ask that in responding to comments or questions you refrain from partisan political comment. So, without delay, I'll turn this over to our readers.
Sarena Waters, from Toronto: When will the Canadian government finally wake up to the reality that we cannot afford to continue 'propping up' the Karzai government by keeping Canadian troops stationed there at these abominable billion dollar costs? In light of present financial crisis, which is affecting every single Canadian in some way or other, we cannot afford this kind of 'peacekeeping' expense spent on one country (Afghanistan) alone. As peacekeepers, we can and should be sending medical aid, food, etc. — not soldiers. I am strongly of the opinion that we need to get our troops out of there as soon as possible. Your comments, Mr. Byers.
