Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed the number in response to a question about the soap opera from Alberta Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.

“Who are the artists and companies used to create the design and images for the new passport and how much were they each paid for their work? “, She asked.

The government responded that it was the Canadian Bank Note Company that won the contract, which was awarded through a competitive procurement process “to provide this solution.”

The company was responsible for “developing the models of the new passport after the IRCC Minister determined the theme.” The sum includes, it says, “printed matter, including books, newspapers, pictures, manuscripts and forms.”

Arriving at the Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday, many MPs and ministers insisted on the security features of the new passport, despite journalists repeatedly telling them the government’s response was all about the designs.

“The main goal is to make the passport safe. We know that it is an absolutely essential tool to travel safely around the world, so that our citizenship is recognized everywhere in the world,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, new Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

The goal “was to be at the cutting edge of technology,” also supported Justin Trudeau’s political deputy for Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez. “This is it, this is the goal,” he repeated over and over, quickening his pace after slowing it down to feel the pulse of the questions.

His colleague, Immigration Minister Marc Miller, remained in front of the cameras but did not respond to the numerous reporters who tried to find out in the press crowd whether the money was well spent.

Originally, the Ministry of Finance approved a budget of 161 million for the project, we learn from the document submitted to Parliament.

MP Rempel Garner also tried to find out “who” supported the removal of Canadian figures such as Terry Fox and Nellie McClung, the Vimy Ridge monument and the city of Quebec from the draft travel document.

The ministry responded that “the surveys were conducted on general themes for the design of the new passport and not to include images or depictions of specific people or events.”

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 and counterfeit.”

The leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, had accused the Liberals of trying to insinuate their “ideology”. woke up » when designing the new passport. The Royal Canadian Legion and the Terry Fox Foundation expressed disappointment.

Critics 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.