According to the Elections Ontario database, the PC’s have raised $506,118 from 1,153 donors so far this year. As a point of comparison, the Liberals, NDP, and Greens have only raised a combined $60,662 from 292 donors.
The governing Progressive Conservatives, led by Premier Doug Ford, have out-fundraised the opposition party NDP by a factor of 10 to 1 in the first few months of 2019.
According to the Elections Ontario database, the PC's have raised $506,118 from 1,153 donors so far this year. As a point of comparison, the Liberals, NDP, and Greens have only raised a combined $60,662 from 292 donors.
The PC's are poised to raise even more and bump their numbers substantially next week as they host a $1,250 per plate dinner at the Toronto Congress Centre.
In order to surpass the Party's record for biggest fundraiser ever, the dinner would need to raise even more than the $2 million former leader Patrick Brown brought in during his Toronto's leader's dinner in 2016.
An invitation to the dinner posted on the Party's website says "Doug Ford and our Ontario PC Caucus accomplished a great deal in 2018, there is much more to achieve in 2019, and to continue getting things done for the people, we need your help to build up our Party's financial resources as quickly as possible."
The governing PC's will look to build on their momentum from 2018 where they raised $9.2 million including all donations to the provincial party, individual candidates, and riding associations.
During 2018, the NDP total donations amounted to $4.2 million, according to elections Canada. The Liberals received $3.5 million and the Greens got $1.05 million.
These donations do not include funds raised during the PC's leadership race last year, which totaled $2.4 million between the four candidates of Tanya Granic-Allen, Christine Elliott, Caroline Mulroney, and Ford.
The PC's have been the top fundraising party over the past three years raising $12.9 million in 2016 and bring in more than the Liberals and NDP combined in 2017.
However, all parties are bringing in far less than they did before 2017, when the Wynne government banned union and corporate donations.
To make up for this lack of funds, the province now subsidizes the parties through per-vote subsidies, a practice Ford has promised to end.
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
