Vote on Libya Set for Next Week

Peter MacKay says the mission has cost taxpayers $26 million, which will double if Parliament approves an extension.

The House of Commons will vote on an extension for the Canadian Forces' mission in Libya next week, says Defence Minister Peter MacKay. So far, the mission has cost Canada $26 million, and the extension, which, if approved, would continue the mission through September, would cost about another $34 million, for a total of $60 million. About 650 Canadian Forces members are involved in the mission, including pilots and support staff for CF-18 fighter jets and the crew of HMCS Charlottetown. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court now alleges that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi provided Viagra-like drugs to his troops to encourage rape campaigns against rebel women, which prosecutors say is a crime against humanity.