True Cost Of Afhganistan Held Back Till After Election

[Nuggler]

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/500405




8O Could it be the Mein Harpo reich is not being as forthcoming as it promised.....No!!

 

[Nuggler]

8O.........another beautiful example of Con truthfulness.and transparency . No wonder they callem "cons"

 

[Praxius]

For clarification:

Harper agrees to release of Afghan war cost report
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...er_afghan_080916/20080917?s_name=election2008

OTTAWA -- Stephen Harper says he will allow the release of a report on the true cost of the Afghan war -- information that could dash his hopes for a majority government.

Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page has tallied the full cost of the mission -- past and future -- and said he would like to release it. But he was worried about interfering with the federal election and asked for all-party consent.

All opposition parties gave their blessing Tuesday, and the prime minister agreed Wednesday.

The minority Conservative government has estimated the cost of the six-year mission at under $8 billion. If the new figures are much higher, it could be bad news for Harper.

Polls have repeatedly shown that Canadians are lukewarm to the mission, especially in the key electoral battleground of Quebec, where Harper must make gains to have any chance of winning his coveted majority.

And critics suggest cost overruns in the Afghan mission could erase the government's shrinking surplus and put the country into deficit, especially given the economic slowdown.

The Afghan mission has been a heavy burden for Canada with 97 soldiers and one diplomat killed. Canada has more than 2,000 personnel based in the dangerous Kandahar region.

The awkward timing of the Afghan report came as Harper made his most direct pitch yet for a majority government. He said Tuesday that he needs a "strong mandate" to fight crime and preserve law and order.

He also said the country will need a forceful government to weather economic uncertainty.

Poll results in the first week of the election campaign suggested the Tories were in majority territory. But they have since slipped, as some voters leery of a Conservative majority apparently had second thoughts.

The latest Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll suggests the Liberals are gaining on the Conservatives, whose lead has shrunk to 10 points from 15 last week. The survey put the Conservatives at 38 per cent support and the Liberals at 28.......

I think the stink over the information not being released had more to do with Kevin's comments thinking the parties wouldn't want that information released during an election.... he was apparently incorrect and as I heard from the comments from Harper last night, Kevin doesn't require approval of any of the parties to release his information and only he can make that decision.

Just so'z ya know.

 

[Nuggler]

Thanks Prax. But, he was probably scared of losing his job, ya think?

 

[mabudon]

Oooohhh this could be fun. I wish there was a box on tax forms that would let citizens refuse to have their tax dollars thrown into the quagmire, but I guess the minority Cons speak for the whole country and know what everyone wants and would never squander money on pointless crap

wait- he "needs a strong mandate to fight crime and preserve law and order"?!?!?!?! THIS is what he thinks running the whole country is all about?!?!?!

THAT is just plain sad

 

[Praxius]

Thanks Prax. But, he was probably scared of losing his job, ya think?

No matter what he decided to do, release it or say no, it will still have an effect against him, so it makes no difference to me.

The one point that I find interesting though is:

"The minority Conservative government has estimated the cost of the six-year mission at under $8 billion. If the new figures are much higher, it could be bad news for Harper."

 

[einmensch]

So much for Conservative TRANSPARENCY ---nothing there so all is transparent
Still waiting to hear more about the MUSLIM TERRORISTS in Ontario. Transparency ??

 

[darkbeaver]

Harper is a fascist.

 

[Spocq]

I watched as Harper stated yes we can show the costs. and I thought to my self sure you can but will you? I'm not surprised in the least that they would keep the cost from us as long as they can.

Nothing new about that.... Politics as usual....

---------------
A vote for green is a vote for good.
The truth will set us free!

 

[mabudon]

Well, 24 hours in, and no-one has taken the 5-7 seconds it would take to read the number aloud. I thought the cons were all about "leadership", Harper should show his by being a man and letting us know the damage.

Leaders shouldn't hide behind words and accusations after all