OTTAWA - Canadians will finally see the price tag on the Afghan war when parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page releases his report Thursday.
Page had scheduled the report's release last month but concerns about interfering with the federal election gave him pause.
Support for the war in Afghanistan is lowest in Quebec, where the Conservatives had been hoping to build on the dozen seats they had before Parliament was dissolved.
Page asked for all-party consent to release the report and the opposition parties quickly gave their blessing, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper soon following suit.
The Tories have pegged the cost of the six-year mission just under $8 billion.
A significantly higher number could pose a political problem for Harper and the Conservatives.
Cost overruns in the Afghan mission could obliterate the government's modest surplus and even dip the country into deficit.
That could spook voters already wary of the looming financial crisis that threatens to take the legs out from under the Canadian economy.
Canada has more than 2,000 personnel based in Afghanistan's volatile Kandahar province.
Since 2002, 97 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.
Page will release the report at 11 a.m. EST on Thursday.
