Bob Mackin
The BC NDP finished 2023 with almost $4.55 million in donations.
Premier David Eby’s party out-raised opposition leader Kevin Falcon’s BC United, which counted $2.978 million in donations for the year.
According to Elections BC returns released Feb. 1, the NDP took in $1.89 million between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, better than the BC United’s $1.178 million. The BC Greens reported $535,994.05 in the fourth quarter and Conservatives $299,820.20.
Premier David Eby and Mayor Ken Sim at Queen Elizabeth Park (@KenSimCity)
The NDP’s total exceeded 2022, when they took-in $4.01 million. BC United, who were the BC Liberals until last April, improved by $448,000 over the previous year’s $2.53 million.
The Sonia Furstenau-led BC Greens, buoyed by a $535,994.05 fourth quarter, finished at $1.197 million, up from $1.075 million in 2022.
But the big movers were John Rustad and the Conservatives. Their 2023 fourth quarter revenue was a whopping 1,802 percent better than the scant $15,732.16 from the same period in 2022. In fact, the Conservatives reported only $84,960.98 in donations for all of 2022 under previous leader Trevor Bolin.
The 2023 ceiling on individual donations to each registered party, including candidates and constituency associations, was $1,401.40. The 2024 cap is $1,450.82.
The half-year, taxpayer-funded allowance payments, based on $1.75 per 2020 vote formula, were most recently paid Jan. 15: $813,037.52 to the NDP, $575,713.94 to BC United, $257,156.66 to the BC Greens and $32,491.31 to the Conservatives.
The next instalment is July 15.
Falcon hosted the Vancouver Leader’s Dinner at the Floata banquet hall in Chinatown on Jan. 31. Eby and his party are holding a fundraiser in Surrey on Feb. 4 at Aria.
The next scheduled election is Oct. 19.
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