The Nov. 24 ceremony in Ottawa celebrated the end of Canada’s military operations in Libya. It involved hundreds of military personnel and several fighter jets thundering over Parliament Hill.
The Privy Council Office initially approved $396,000 for the celebration but it ended up costing over $800,000, according to documents first obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.
At a defence committee meeting Tuesday, New Democrat David Christopherson accused MacKay of "runaway spending" and asked if it was appropriate to hold such an event while Libya is still in turmoil.
The Hamilton Centre MP from Ontario twice compared the event to U.S. President George W. Bush’s 2003 speech on the end of major American combat operations in Iraq. The speech was given in front of a Mission Accomplished banner that has since become a symbol of hubris and overconfidence.
"Was that really the best timing in light of what we saw George Bush do with his Mission Accomplished banner and how that has hung over his legacy to this day?" Christopherson said.
MacKay agreed that life is far from normal in Libya — Canada still has a ship in the region — but he said the event was intended to mark the end of the Canadian Forces’ operations in the North African country. He called it an important and appropriate way to recognize Canada’s role.
"I would suggest to you that the coverage of that event was also a very useful exercise for recruitment and for putting emphasis on the important work that is done by those in the Royal Canadian Air Force," MacKay said.
Christopherson said someone clearly was not on top of the cost of the celebration as it more than doubled. But MacKay said the numbers do not tell the whole story.
The Privy Council Office initially approved a price of $396,000. A revised estimate then bumped the price tag up to $475,000.
But that price did not include the cost of the flyover, MacKay said. The minister said that cost would have been accrued anyway and was already budgeted for separately because the flyover counted as training hours for the pilots and crews.
Including the flyover, cost estimates for the celebration range from $812,000 to $850,000.
The exchange between MacKay and Christopherson eventually grew testy. At one point, MacKay offered to provide an item-by-item cost breakdown of the event.
"No, I think you know that’s not what I’m looking for," Christopherson said.
"Somewhere, something is not lining up."
MacKay then deferred to Bruce Donaldson, the vice-chief of defence staff. Donaldson said the estimates were good, and he backed MacKay’s statement that the numbers were understood not to include the cost of the aircraft.
At the time of the November celebration, NATO-backed rebel forces had overthrown and killed Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Lt.-Gen. Charles Bouchard, who led the NATO mission, was given the Meritorious Service Cross at the event.
Since then, violence and instability have continued in Libya as the new government has struggled to bridge the various groups involved in the revolution.
Original Article
Source: the chronicle herald
Author: PAUL McLEOD
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