OTTAWA - Government officials say the G8 and G20 summits in June were a bargain at $1.3 billion.
Ward Elcock, who oversaw security for the summits, says the $930-million budgeted for security will probably not be all spent.
And the head of the summit preparations says that by holding the two meetings just 250 kilometres apart -- in Huntsville, Ont., and Toronto -- Ottawa was able to spend efficiently by using the same contractors and planners for both events.
Peter McGovern told a House of Commons committee that the two summits were actually four, since a youth meeting and a business meeting were held on the fringes of the main gatherings.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff accuses the government of flagrant overspending on summits that produced very little in terms of foreign policy.
