By Canadian Press

Conservative fundraising rose as party ousted O’Toole, entered leadership race

May 3, 2022 | 2:06 PM

OTTAWA — Only two political parties managed to raise more money in the first quarter of this year than at the end of 2021: the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois.  

Elections Canada’s latest reports show the Conservatives took in more than $5 million from 31,512 donors during the period in which former leader Erin O’Toole was ousted amid a major caucus revolt.  

O’Toole lost the top job on Feb. 2 after a majority of the caucus voted to enter the party’s third leadership race since 2015, following weeks of party members calling for O’Toole to step down. 

Candice Bergen became interim leader, and since then six people have lined up to become O’Toole’s permanent replacement when Conservatives vote in September. 

The Bloc’s fundraising efforts rebounded slightly after an 87 per cent drop in donations between September and December of last year, but the $551,488 raised is still less than half the $1.2 million it brought in during the quarter that included the federal election.

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Liberal donors gave just shy of $3.5 million in the first three months of the year, down from $3.9 million in the final quarter of last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2022.

The Canadian Press