ONTARIO PCs RAISE MORE THAN NDP, LIBERALS COMBINED

Ontario’s ruling Liberals raised the least amount of money in the first quarter of 2017 while the Progressive Conservatives raised more than double the amounts brought in by the Liberals and NDP. According to Elections Ontario up to the end of March, the Tories — leading in the polls — raised about $141,000 up to the end of March, which is more than the approximately $80,000 they raised in the first quarter of 2016, though it’s highly unlikely they’ll be able to match the $12.6 million in total they raised that year. The NDP raised about $62,000 in the first quarter of this year — compared to about $317,000 in the same period last year — and the Liberals raised about $61,000 this year, compared to more than half a million dollars in the first quarter of 2016. New rules kicked in Jan. 1 banning corporate and union donations, prohibiting politicians from attending fundraising events and lowering the maximum donation amount. Under the new rules, the parties also get per-vote subsidies to help them stay afloat in at least the first few years without corporate and union donations.