Stephen Harper’s Middle East trip cost $1 million
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s January trip to the Middle East with a large delegation rang up a bill topping $1 million, newly released figures show.
More than half the cost for the seven-day trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan was for accommodation, totalling $607,920.
Travel was the next biggest expenditure with $148,515 spent on Privy Council staff — the bureaucratic wing of the prime minister’s office — plus another $315,329 for other travel and transportation.
Other costs include $11,521 for cellphones; $6,341 for gifts; $10,838 for hospitality; $5,482 for translation and $5,300 for water bottles and soft drinks.
The new tally was obtained under Access to Information Act and is almost five times the preliminary estimate released by foreign affairs department in the weeks after the trip.
A delegation of some 200 people joined Harper on his Middle East trip — including his first-ever visit to Israel — and among them were community, religious and business leaders.
Harper spent four days in Israel and that’s where most of the costs were incurred — $676,545. Only a small delegation continued with Harper to Jordan, which cost $187,549. The prime minister made a morning visit to the West Bank, which cost $18,170.
Almost $300,000 was earmarked to cover the costs of “headquarters,” though no details are provided of where that was located.
When the preliminary estimates were released earlier this year, a foreign affairs spokesperson said that some delegates paid for accommodation, or had private accommodation.
The spokesperson said at the time that the decision to have the government pick up the tab for delegates is in line with past practices.
TheStar
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s January trip to the Middle East with a large delegation rang up a bill topping $1 million, newly released figures show.
More than half the cost for the seven-day trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan was for accommodation, totalling $607,920.
Travel was the next biggest expenditure with $148,515 spent on Privy Council staff — the bureaucratic wing of the prime minister’s office — plus another $315,329 for other travel and transportation.
Other costs include $11,521 for cellphones; $6,341 for gifts; $10,838 for hospitality; $5,482 for translation and $5,300 for water bottles and soft drinks.
The new tally was obtained under Access to Information Act and is almost five times the preliminary estimate released by foreign affairs department in the weeks after the trip.
A delegation of some 200 people joined Harper on his Middle East trip — including his first-ever visit to Israel — and among them were community, religious and business leaders.
Harper spent four days in Israel and that’s where most of the costs were incurred — $676,545. Only a small delegation continued with Harper to Jordan, which cost $187,549. The prime minister made a morning visit to the West Bank, which cost $18,170.
Almost $300,000 was earmarked to cover the costs of “headquarters,” though no details are provided of where that was located.
When the preliminary estimates were released earlier this year, a foreign affairs spokesperson said that some delegates paid for accommodation, or had private accommodation.
The spokesperson said at the time that the decision to have the government pick up the tab for delegates is in line with past practices.
TheStar
