‘A good investment’: Cost of sending Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel to Germany: $130,000
It cost the Canadian government about $130,000 to fly Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel to his native Germany, where he remains in prison.
The cost of the forced removal, after Zundel was declared a dangerous white supremacist by a Federal Court of Canada judge, includes the chartering of a private jet for the March 1 flight, a $365 catering bill for the passengers, and hotel and overtime bills for three escorting officers, according to documents released to the National Post under the Access to Information Act.
The largest single cost was $118,080 for the Challenger 604 jet, the same type of aircraft used by the Prime Minister, from Skyservice Aviation Inc.
More than $9,000 went to other aircraft expenses, including flight crew expenses and airport landing fees. Two immigration officers escorting Zundel out of Canada also stayed overnight in a German hotel before returning.
Their overtime bill was $784, according to the documents.
[…]
The cost of the trip is not of great concern to members of the Jewish community, said Bernie Farber, executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
“This was a good investment, no matter what the cost of getting rid of him,” Mr. Farber said.
[…]
Zundel’s deportation is by far the most expensive of recent forced immigration removals, according to the government documents provided.
Source:
Adrian Humphreys
National Post
www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?
id=44edb0df-f9c6-49f0-85e8-ea02e78bfd72&k=0
Tuesday, June 14, 2005