Conservative fundraising leaves others biting the dust

Several reports this morning reveal that the Conservative Party of Canada has broken a new fundraising record in 2008, having collected over $21 million. Sources say a spike experienced over the months of November and December were no doubt helped by the threat of the Liberal-NDP Coalition deal.

Quoted from the National Post:

The Liberals, meanwhile, raised $5.9-million in 2008, an improvement over the $4.5 million the party raised the year before. A surge in donations in the fourth quarter, when the party garnered $2.3-million, enabled the Liberals to beat the NDP, which was leading the Grits through the third quarter.

[…]

The New Democrats raised $5.5-million in 2008, a major increase over their haul of $4-million the previous year. Meanwhile, the Green Party broke through the $1-million mark for the first time, raising $1.6-million in 2008.

The Bloc Quebecois raised $713,415 for the year.

The overall numbers, says Queen's University political scientist Kathy Brock to the Sun, "just speak to the power of [the Tories'] fundraising machine."

According to the Elections Canada data, the Conservatives had 174,558 contributors; the Liberals attracted 52,310.

Those are some nice numbers all around. Let’s keep up the good work!