B.C. Liberals raised $13.1 million in 2016, twice as much as NDP

The B.C. Liberals raised twice as much money as the NDP last year, documents released Wednesday by Elections B.C. show.

The governing Liberals pulled in $13.1 million in political donations compared with $6.2 million for the NDP.

The B.C. Green Party, which banned corporate and union donations last September, raised $757,268 primarily from individuals. The party received less than $5,000 from corporations and just $200 from a union.

The 2016 financial reports show the Liberals entering the May 9 election campaign with an accumulated surplus of $7.6 million compared with the NDP’s $1.8 million.

The Liberals, who have faced heavy criticism for their fundraising practices, pulled in $7.7 million from nearly 1,900 businesses and corporations. The total includes $200,000 from John Redekop Construction, $144,000 from Teck Resources Ltd., $107,00 from Seaspan ULC and $132,000 from the New Car Dealers Association of B.C.

The Liberals received $4.7 million from 21,500 individuals and just $14,000 from 11 unions.

The NDP, which has vowed to ban corporate and union donations if it wins the election, raised about $1.8 million from unions last year.

The total includes $117,430 from the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union, $262,675 from the Canadian Union of Public Employees B.C. Division, and $199,803 from the Hospital Employees’ Union. The United Steelworkers, United Steelworkers Canada and United Steelworkers District 3 donated more than $660,000 between them.

The NDP received $555,000 from corporations and $3.8 million from individuals.

Elections B.C. launched an investigation last month following a Globe and Mail report on improper political contributions. The Election Act prohibits indirect political donations in which someone contributes to a party using someone else’s money.

Elections B.C. has since turned the investigation over to the RCMP to make sure the probe will not impede the administration of the May 9 provincial election.

The Liberals recently refunded $92,874 after identifying 43 prohibited contributions, while the NDP returned about $9,000 after uncovering two cases of indirect donations.