Ottawa spent a whopping $284 million to redesign the Canadian passport.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed the figure in response to a question about the soap opera from Alberta Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.
Who were the artists and companies used for the design and images of the new passport, and how much were each paid for their work?
she asked.
The government responded that it was the Canadian Bank Note Company that won the contract initiated in a competitive procurement process. to provide this solution
. the company was busy develop the models of the new passport after the IRCC Minister decides on the issue
.
The parliamentary document also reveals that the project caused cost overruns with a bill 76% higher than expected. Initially, the Treasury Board approved a budget of $161 million.
The inside cover and first page are illustrated with a deer, maple leaves and snowflakes.
During question time on Wednesday, the Conservatives denounced a example of a completely crazy expense
.
It’s wasteful and meaningless. Can the minister commit to (not) burning Canadians’ money?
The new Minister for Citizens Services, Terry Beech, has been sent to the front. He avoided addressing the funds spent on the design of the new passport.
Passport backlog is completely eliminated, (…) printers are now five times faster, you can check your passport application online and soon you will also be able to renew your passport online
he has said.
Arriving at the morning Liberal caucus meeting, many MPs and ministers emphasized the security features of the new passport, despite being told by journalists that $250 million had been spent on the visual design.
The main goal is to make the passport secure. We know that it is an absolutely essential tool to travel safely around the world, so that the citizenship we have is recognized no matter where on the planet we go.
The objective, was going to be at the forefront of technology
He also supported Justin Trudeau’s political lieutenant in Quebec, Pablo Rodríguez. that’s the goal
he repeated constantly, accelerating his pace after having slowed down to take the pulse of the questions.
His colleague, Immigration Minister Marc Miller, stood before the cameras, but did not respond to the many journalists who were trying to find out in the press whether this was money well spent.
Options that are not unanimous
In her question about the order document, MP Rempel Garner also attempted to find out who supported the removal of Canadian figures such as Terry Fox and Nellie McClung, the Vimy Ridge monument and Quebec City from the design of the travel document.
The ministry responded that The surveys were conducted on general themes for the design of the new passport and not on the inclusion of images or representations of specific individuals or events.
.
View of an inside page of the new passport (left) and security features that will appear under ultraviolet light (right).
The government unveiled the new passport in May. This includes enhanced security features. Passport holders’ personal information will now be laser engraved instead of printed in ink, making the document more durable and harder to fake and counterfeit
.
The leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, had accused the liberals of wanting to inject their woke ideology
in the design of the new passport. The Royal Canadian Legion and the Terry Fox Foundation expressed their disappointment.
Critics accuse the government of stripping the passport of certain historical symbols. These images have been replaced by natural landscapes and elements of the country’s fauna.
