Cost of F-35 Jets Twice Conservatives' Estimate, Budget Officer Says

Kevin Page has released a report finding that a new fleet of fighter jets will cost nearly $30 billion over 30 years.

It’s turning out to be a very bad week for Stephen Harper. A day after House Speaker Peter Milliken ruled against his party on two matters of parliamentary privilege, the parliamentary budget officer has said the Conservatives’ plans to buy 65 F-35 fighter jets will cost $30 billion, much more than the government estimate of $16 to 18 billion. The parliamentary privilege issues and the cost of the fighter jets have been key lines of attack for the opposition, who had claimed the Conservatives were hiding the true cost of the military expenditure. The contract for the purchase was never publicly tendered, a process which the Liberals say would have resulted in a more affordable contract.