How the parties stack up financially
And meet the newest D-Pol
ABOVE THE FOLD
First in Observer — FUNDRAISING WATCH — It’s that time of year again, when political parties divulge their annual financial returns — and some closed out 2023 in better shape than others.
By the numbers:
For the PCs: The ruling party ended 2023 with a big chunk of change in their arsenal — an impressive feat, thanks in large part to their big leader’s dinner fundraiser featuring DOUG FORD, which, as first scooped in this newsletter, saw roughly 4,000 folks cough up $1,500 apiece to rub shoulders with the front bench. That brought in $6 million for party coffers, the biggest political fundraiser in Canadian history. But this year, the leader’s dinner was cancelled in the wake of the Greenbelt scandal — and Q1 fundraising has already tanked because of it.
Still, the Tories had $8,998,192 in the bank at the end of 2023, according to annual financial returns filed with Elections Ontario.
Notable expenses — which tallied up to $8,653,944 — include $839,626 on advert…