PBO Pegs Iraq Mission Costs from $128M to $166M

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer, Jean-Denis Fréchette, has pegged the incidental costs of Canada’s ongoing Iraq military mission at between $128.8 million and $166.4 million for the said six months. According to Fréchette’s report released on Tuesday, it did not factor in the salaries and other fixed costs. Whereas, the government’s estimate of the mission released on Monday night, i.e. $122 million up to mid-February, did not include salaries and other fixed costs either.

The government’s estimates were provided by Defence Minister Jason Kenney on late Monday, i.e. after the PBO announced to release his estimates soon even though the government had spent months refusing to release any cost estimates prior to PBO’s announcement. So far, the government has announced to run the mission until the beginning of April, but it could be extended. The PBO’s report pointed out that the costs of a year-long mission are anticipated to range from $242.71 million to $351.27.

Whereas on the other hand, U.S. government revealed in last October that its war against ISIL is costing it around $8.3 million per day. The Australian government, which joined the mission just days before Canada, has calculated a year of fighting at around $500 million. Quite noticeably, NDP defence critic, Jack Harris, and Liberal counterpart, Joyce Murray, had inquired Fréchette in the fall about the cost estimates but the request was denied at the time. The government suggested in December it would release costs 90 days after the mission’s end, prompting anger from opposition members of Parliament.