Can they beat the Conservatives?
Shortly after 1 p.m. ET this afternoon, the Liberal Party of Canada’s senior director for fundraising Christina Topp sent out an e-mail to party members saying that, in the month of December alone, the party had raised $2,174,634 from 32,107 donors. Those are very good numbers. Indeed, that one month alone would beat the haul the party has had in many three-month periods over the last several years. (Federal political parties have been required to disclose financial data on a quarterly basis since 2007).
But while Liberals should, quite rightly, celebrate a helluva month from its fundraising division, that party still has much work to do to match the Conservatives when it comes to fundraising prowess. In fact, since the rules on financial reporting changed in 2007, they’ve never come close to matching the Conservatives in any fourth quarter of any year. The closest? In 2011, after that devastating defeat in the spring which put the Liberals in third spot in the House of Commons for the first time ever, Liberals raised 66 cents for every dollar the Conservatives raised but were still $1.4 million behind them at the end of the quarter. Again, that was the best fourth quarter the Liberals have had ever versus the Conservatives — a tribute, in some ways, to then-interim leader Bob Rae.
But it looks like the new permanent leader of the Liberal Party is a pretty good pick for fundraising purposes.
Mind you, while the trend for the Liberals is definitely moving in the right direction, consider this: In the final quarter of each year since 2007, the Conservatives have raised, on average, $5.1 million. The Liberals? $2.31 million. The average number of donors for the Conservatives in each quarter since 2007 was 41,675. The Liberals? 20,945.
We won’t know what the totals are for each party for the fourth quarter of 2013 until late January. But in the fourth quarter of 2012, here are the contributions/contributors for each party. Conservatives: $5.1 million/ 39,140 | Liberals: $2.8 million / 29,753.
Again, in December 2013 alone — just one of the three months in the quarter — the Liberals say they already have $2.2 million from 32,107.
In the third quarter of 2013, the Liberals did not beat the Conservatives so far as the total amount of money donated but they did beat the Conservatives in terms of overall number of donors. I suspect that the Liberals will beat the Tories again on total contributors. Overall donations could be a close race as more and more Conservatives hold back their cash upset over the Senate scandal while Liberals use Justin Trudeau’s celebrity status for everything it is worth in cold, hard cash.
Typically, all parties record their highest fundraising totals in the last quarter of the calendar year, as donors find that extra bit of year-end cash and max out on generous annual tax credits for political donations.
I hope Justin Trudeau continues to do well !
I rather have an inexperienced leader who is looking out for the best interests of Canadians than Harper who just doesn’t give a damn about Canada.
Canada is a centre country. Period.
Happy New Year !!
Really? Harper balanced the budget and eliminated the deficit. Just like he promised in his platform speech. He may even be able to reduce our debt therefor helping our future, our grandchildren and taking some of the burden away from them. Now you want a spender with no experience back in office? Because he bows to your teacher’s unions for the greed of you unions? Wow, how shamefully greedy are you. Why? Because of his name? How shameful. You greedy left wing liberal union borrowers and spenders and wasters will just sink our future children into so much debt and all for your own personal greed of today. I find that shameful.
Eugene
Last I checked, the deficit was still alive and well and the size of the federal government has grown exponentially under Harper. Not the stuff of a leader looking out for future generations. I think Harper has mastered the art of sucking and blowing. The last time there was no deficit and the debt was actually being paid down…wait for it….yep, the Liberals were in power.
Happy New Year, David. We’ll clash again in the year to come, until you find your senses & back a different horse. Dictator Harper is going down. Don’t go down with him!!!!!!!
Just wait for 2015. Justin Trudeau will be the new prime minster of Canada. The Conservative party is finished because they can not be trusted to tell the truth, for New Brunswick, the Conservatives will lose their, and the Liberal gain more seats.
Sorry but increasing trade with new trade agreements, getting a stellar global rating and a steady rate of job growth combined with little to none tax increase…is Harper not giving a damn? Oh the deficit… the one the Liberal/NDP coalition gov forced when we had a minority CPC government? They threatened another costly election if we didn’t bail out (Ontario auto) industry at the start of the recession. How did that pan out? They are still not where they were are they, not even close.
Let’s talk about AD scam (Liberals) which we will be learning about shortly. Where is all that money? Many believe its in the liberal coffers but shhhh there’s Duffy…and the thousands that were PAID BACK. Where is all the scandal money that the Liberals have paid back…..crickets…..
The CPC are well on their way to balance the toppled over books from the correlation Liberal/NDP in time for the 2015 election.
An inexperienced leader in the last few years would have been a costly gamble of Canadian tax payers money. What many seem to forget is that all that money the government uses MUST come from people who are WORKING for companies/industries that are making PROFITS and pay taxes.
Canadians best interests is to be working at a job and not collecting an unemployment check.
Shiny Pony, golden spoon firmly placed in his mouth, has zero experience being a middle class, living off a hard earned weekly pay check. He doesn’t even have the educational background to know what he’s doing. Sorry but a guy that has no moral objection to taking money from a seniors home for speaking at a fundraiser says a lot for CHARACTER. Let’s not talk about the thousands he’s been paid to speak at cash strapped schools while being a minister of education. JT is not leadership material.
Harper has my vote.