The Canadian Press reports that according to documents obtained using federal Access to Information laws, the original $175 million security budget included in the bid for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games was riddled with holes and guesses despite the worldwide threat of terrorism.
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press say “the estimated security budget that was developed is based on a low threat assessment which means that should the threat level escalate to medium or high, there would be a significant impact on the current $175M (million) budget and would also have significant funding implications for other security partners”.
Officials say plans are now being made based on a medium threat to the Games, one of the many reasons the costs have ballooned.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, who oversees the unit, said in defending the budget on Friday. “we have to prepare in a reasonable way for I would suggest all threats, but at a reasonable level. That comes with some cost, it comes with some preparation and it comes with planning”.
According to Access documents, in the initial plans money wasn’t allocated for things like emergency response teams or costs that other federal departments might incur in 2010. Mercer said those areas are now covered.
Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan said the five-fold increase is due to the fact that in 2002 there was actually no security plan in place. “the budget that exists now is a real budget based on a real plan for the Games”, he said Thursday night.
The documents also show that both the federal and British Columbia governments did not want to formally tell the media about their cost-sharing plans for the budget, reports The Canadian Press. It was released late Thursday afternoon via a hastily called teleconference, just when the media and all of Canada were focussed on U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Canada.
