The winter of political philanthropy: parties rake in cash in first quarter
Posted April 30, 2019 1:43 pm.
OTTAWA — The long Canadian winter of 2019 was good for at least one thing: lining the pockets of political parties.
The Conservative Party of Canada’s first-quarter haul of $8 million is more than any party has ever raised in the first three months of a year.
The Tories’ raised more than double the Liberals’ $3.9 million — which is still the Liberals’ best first quarter in three years, despite the party’s struggles in the SNC-Lavalin saga.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer attributes his party’s financial prowess to having a message that is resonating with Canadians and believes it is a sign Canadians want a change in government.
The Green Party of Canada also had its best first fundraising quarter ever, bringing in $783,278, almost 50 per cent more than it brought in during the same period last year.
Maxime Bernier’s brand-new People’s Party of Canada nearly matched the Greens’ total with a reported $762,000.
The Canadian Press
