Wildrose tops PCS in donations

Smith’s party rakes in $2.4M

While the votes have yet to be counted in the Alberta election, the Wildrose party appears to have bested the Progressive Conservatives in at least one campaign battle.

Danielle Smith’s party announced Sunday it has raked in nearly $2.4 million in donations during the four-week race, while Alison Redford’s rival Tories claimed a total of $1.8 million over the first 31/2 weeks.

It’s believed to be the first time in more than 40 years that any party has raised more money than the PCS. Wildrose organizers said their donation tally is the highest ever collected by an Alberta political party during an election race, and nearly equal to the $2.7 million Wildrose raised in all of 2011.

The party also released a list of donors who gave $375 or more, which is the disclosure amount set by Elections Alberta.

The Wildrose list shows about three-quarters of its donated money came from individuals, and 25 per cent was from corporations.

Of the $2.4 million, about $1.6 million came from 900 contributors who gave $375 or more. Smaller donations from more than 6,000 people accounted for a little less than $800,000.

Wildrose has been unwilling in the past to publicize its fundraising sources, insisting that many donors were afraid of reprisals from the PC government. Smith, in fact, released the list of donors from her 2009 leadership campaign only a few weeks ago.

“When we first began, we knew there was a lot of bullying and in- timidation,” Smith said. “Now I think something has changed. I think people won’t put up with bullying and intimidation anymore.”

PC president Bill Smith said late last week that his party’s delay in publicizing donors was due to staff being “overwhelmed with receiving and processing the contributions that are coming in.”

He said Sunday that donations picked up substantially in the last 10 days as more people became engaged in the campaign. The PCS received about $1.5 million of their money from 300 contributors who gave $375 or more.

Redford’s party had a higher percentage of corporate donors than the Wildrose.

The Alberta Liberals, who also committed to providing up-to-date information, released a list of 24 donors last Tuesday.

The Wildrose list includes a large number of contributors who also donated to the Tories, including several energy and construction companies.

One who donated only to the Wildrose was former Oilers part-owner Cal Nichols, who gave $26,700. Nichols has campaigned to keep Edmonton’s City Centre Airport open, which Smith has said she might support. Katz Group Canada, run by current Oilers owner Daryl Katz, gave $7,500 to Wildrose.

The Calgary Flames, along with co-owner N. Murray Edwards, gave to the PCS, while another Flames owner, Allan Markin, gave to both parties.

The Calgary Herald was on the PCS’ donors list in the category of $375 to $5,000.

Another $10,000 to Wildrose came from developer and liquor store entrepreneur Irv Kipnes, who also gave to the PCS.

Kipnes has been a close friend of Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, who has had a frosty relationship with Smith.