Ottawa was still unable to say on Thursday how much the revision of the draft passports cost, but assured that it was far from $284 million, according to a document submitted to Parliament this week.
This information does not reflect the budget. […] Going forward, we will ensure that we answer these types of questions in much more detail and in a way that avoids further misunderstandings, the office of the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Security told The Canadian Press on Thursday. Citizenship, Marc Müller.
The $284 million figure was revealed to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner in response to a question she posed in the order paper. The document was signed by Mr. Miller.
In her written question, the Alberta elected representative wanted to know which artists and companies were used to design and create the images for the new passport and how much each received for their work.
On this specific aspect, the government responded that a contract worth 284 million was awarded to the Canadian Bank Note Company to provide this solution.
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The new Canadian passport cover.
Photo: Government of Canada
However, this sum represents 14 years of operating costs associated with the entire passport program, including maintenance, repairs and software upgrades, a spokesman for Minister Miller, Bahoz Dara Aziz, said in a written statement.
The amount is not entirely attributable to the passport modernization project and relates to normal expenses that would have been incurred with or without the new passport.
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Ottawa says it has budgeted $161 million for the new passport project. This includes, it is said, the visual overhaul, the design and installation of more efficient printers to integrate the latest security features, the infrastructure necessary for the production of the passport, salaries, renovation rooms and new software.
78.9 million have been spent on the project so far. The budget is largely being adhered to, emphasized Ms. Dara Aziz.
When asked how much the visual design of the passport cost, as initially requested by the MP, Ms. Dara Aziz explained that the ministry is working to determine the exact amount.
The government introduced the new passport in May. This includes improved security features. Passport holders’ personal information is now laser engraved rather than printed with ink, making the document more durable and harder to forge.
Critics, including conservatives, accuse the government of removing certain historical symbols from the passport. These images were replaced with natural landscapes and elements of the country’s wildlife.