Stephen Harper poised on eve of Conservative Party national convention to announce new secret fundraising weapon!

Conservative party donations drop almost 30 percent

Funds donated to Stephen Harper's federal Tories fell during the third quarter this year compared to Spring

By Susan Delacourt - Parliament Hill
Thursday, October 31, 2013

Senator Mike Duffy contributed $900 to the Tories in 2013 and another $900 from his wife, Heather, sent to the party on April 9, according to Elections Canada reports. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

OTTAWA—Federal Conservative party donations dropped by nearly 30 per cent between spring and summer this year, according to third-quarter figures released on Thursday by Elections Canada.

In the wake of this week’s revelations about party funds used to pay the legal fees of Senator Mike Duffy, the drop in donations threatens to put yet another cloud over the mood of Conservatives as they head into their Calgary convention this weekend.

The third-quarter returns show that Conservatives raised $3.4 million between July and September this year — compared to $4.8 million raised from April to June.

However, that $3.4 million is roughly similar to the amount raised during the summer of 2012 as well — $3.5 million — meaning that the drop could simply be a usual seasonal slump in fundraising for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s party.

And Conservatives are still out-fundraising their rival Liberals and New Democrats, who had both been conducting concerted pushes in September to post healthy third-quarter numbers.

Liberals donations, however, were down from the spring as well, with the party posting $2.2 million in funds raised over the summer, compared to the $2.9 million raised from April to June, immediately after Justin Trudeau won the leadership and turned over some of his donations to the party.

Liberals are consistently raising more money than New Democrats, though, in 2013.

The NDP reports $1.5 million raised over the past summer, up slightly from the $1.3 million raised in the spring.

Duffy’s name actually turns up in the list of contributors to the Conservatives for 2013, with a $900 donation from him and another $900 from his wife, Heather, sent to the party on April 9, according to Elections Canada reports.