Global National last night tackled the issue of how much the war, the War in Afganistan, is costing you.
Hard to get a number on it; Prime Minister Harper and the boys are very secretive about the whole thingy.
Anchorman Kevin Newman stated that "The future cost of the Afghan war has now been declared a national security secret. The government has never easily offered it up. During the election, Global National's reporting led to the release of an estimate...Canadian taxpayers, unlike those in most other countries, are now being asked to support a war they're not allowed it to know the cost of." Jacques Borbeau, a Global reporter, then said "Last year, DND released figures showing how much taxpayers will spend on the Afghan war over the next three years... this year, the defence department is now refusing to give up those numbers, arguing this is information which could reasonably be expected to be injurious to the conduct of the defence of Canada."
Or it is super expensive and for what?
Defence Minister Peter Mackay says the decision to keep the numbers secret was not his, well, dude, seriously, you are the Defence Minister, the buck stops at your desk.
The number bandied about in the report is 18 billion. Canadian dollars.
Here is why you should be upset.
18 billion shortens health care wait times, fixes highways, makes mass transit more efficient, lowers the cost of and improves schools at all levels.
18 billion is a lot of money.
WFDS
End of the combat mission happens in 2011 by act of parliament, the first debated and democratic decision since Chretien put us there in 2001. I don't like the cost either but this government has been far more democratic about it than the last ones.
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