2010-05-25 

G8/G20 security bill to hit $833 million: CTV

CTV News has learned that Ottawa expects to spend $833 million on security for next month’s G8 and G20 summits.

In March, the federal government had allocated $179 million for its security budget. But under new estimates that will be introduced in the House of Commons later Tuesday, these costs should increase by $654 million to a total of $833 million, officials tell CTV.

The new costs are included in the Supplementary Estimates (A), 2010-11 — the first of several documents used to inform Parliament about spending requirements that are not included in the Main Estimates of the annual budget.

According to a copy of the Supplementary Estimates (A), 2010-11, that has been posted to the Treasury Board of Canada website, the additional $654 million will be split among the following departments:

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police — $321.5 million
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness — $262.6 million
• National Defence — $63.1 million
• Others – $6.7 million

The document says the additional funding will be used to:

• design, plan, coordinate and implement security operations for the summits
• provide the RCMP and its security partners with accommodation facilities for the G8 and G20 Summits
• procure information technology and portable communication assets
• work with federal, provincial and municipal security partners responsible for providing Summit security
• ensure the safekeeping of all International Protected Persons attending the summits

The G8 will be held in Huntsville, Ont., from June 25-26.

The G20 will take place in Toronto, from June 26-27.