(Ottawa) The Conservatives raised more money last year than the ruling Liberals, as the federal parties groomed for the possibility of early general elections.
According to the latest data submitted to the Canada elections, the official Conservative opposition ended 2020 with a sharp increase in contributions in the fourth quarter, as did the Liberals, on the matter.
The Conservatives raised $ 7.7 million from nearly 46,000 donors between October and December, while the Liberal Party says it raised $ 6.5 million from nearly 48,000 donors during the fourth quarter of 2020.
Contributions to the Liberals nearly doubled in the fourth quarter of the third quarter, making it their best outside of an election year and the most profitable fourth quarter on record – but not enough to make up for the less profitable 2020.
The Liberals raised about $ 15.1 million in 2020, compared to the $ 20.7 million from the Conservatives, according to the totals submitted to the Canada elections. 2020 has been a year of contention over leadership for conservatives, but parties across the spectrum have also ramped up their lobbying efforts amid speculation that early general elections will be held before the end of the year.
“While other parties have pushed for (early) elections, the goal of the Liberal Party is to do whatever it takes to keep Canadians safe and support them during this global crisis – and that will remain the case,” said LPC spokesperson, Brayden Kaley said in an email.
All parties have begun to clear the ground in electoral districts, including appointing candidates and committees that screen potential candidates.
Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole said last week that the strong harvest of political contributions in his first six months in office proves that the focus on the economy and job creation has struck a chord with Canadians.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) claims to have raised $ 2.5 million in the last three months of 2020, which allowed it to finalize its 2019 election debt. The $ 2.5 million contributions raised by the NDP to the last quarter represent more than 40% of The 6.1 million the party raised during the whole of 2020.
The National Democratic Party asserts that it still has more than $ 1 million in its coffers after paying off all of its hefty $ 10 million debts it incurred during the 2019 election campaign.
The Quebeco Bloc raised more than $ 961,000 from a thousand donors in Quebec between October and December, for a total of 1.6 million raised throughout 2020.
Meanwhile, the Greens say it raised 1.4 million in the fourth quarter and 3.5 million in the entire year.
The last quarterly financial reports of the Federalist Parties for the year 2020 were to be submitted to the Canadian Election Commission no later than 1is being February.