Sask. Party donation lists offer insight into the leadership race

The first round of Saskatchewan Party leadership donation disclosures loaded with corporate money tells us what we already know.

This is a corporation-driven party where two out of every three dollars is coming from business. By contrast, not a single penny so far has come from unions. It’s great fodder for the NDP — especially Ryan Meili, who has taken the stand during his own simultaneous leadership run to not accept union or corporate donations.

Meili was quick to note 82 per cent of Ken Cheveldayoff ’s donations came from corporate sources, followed by Gord Wyant (71 per cent), Scott Moe (52 per cent) and Alanna Koch (41 per cent). But let us recognize the party is following long-existing rules the NDP followed when its government was shaking down businesses for donations in the form of Premier’s Dinners. Also, credit the Sask. Party for being far more diligent about disclosing donors during a leadership campaign than parties are during election campaigns.

Finally, whether they be unions, corporations or individuals, let us accept that donations are made for general support of party policies rather than personal gain. That said, it would be naive to believe those now donating to leadership camps (where there isn’t the benefit of generous tax writeoffs) are doing so strictly for altruistic motivations.

But let’s delve deeper into the first round of Sask. Party leadership donation disclosures and see what other things it might tell us about this race.

The $132,023 raised by Koch ■

(slightly more than half the $250,000 maximum spending allowance) is the most evenly distributed between corporate and individual donors. That said, her 50 donations over $1,000 even exceed that of donation leader Cheveldayoff.

To the surprise of no one, what it mostly says is Koch’s money is often coming from the business elite and longtime Sask. Party/ former Progressive Conservative mainstays beginning with Doug Emsley (providing $3,000 in donations in kind for office rentals through Emsley and Associates Inc.), former deputy minister Garnet Garvin ($1,000 from the guy who served with Emsley on Wall’s transition team), former Crown Investment Corporation head Dick Carter ($500) and former Devine PC Lorne Hepworth.

If there was any reason to doubt the Sask. Party hierarchy is behind Koch’s leadership bid, it likely dissipates with the disclosure.

Cheveldayoff’s leading total of ■ $177,528 got the most attention, but it maybe isn’t that impressive given how much his three major rivals raised. While much is rightly being made of this total and that 82 per cent is from corporations, it’s important to note that Cheveldayoff raked in $18,185 from individuals donating more than $250 and $12,378 in private donations of less than $250. This shows the broad range of support a serious contender needs. Donor names like MP Brad Trost and the Saskatoon-based Remai family leap off the list, as do large sums from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario numbered companies.

Moe’s $138,366 (a distant second ■ place and slightly ahead of Koch) allowed him to claim the most “grassroots campaign” because he has the most donors. This suggests the 22 MLAs supporting him (the most among leadership candidates) are beating the bushes on Moe’s behalf.

However, that 52 per cent of his money raised so far comes from corporate donors and that Moe has almost as many donations over $1,000 as Koch and Cheveldayoff (albeit, only two from supporting MLAs — Jim Reiter and Fred Bradshaw) suggest his campaign may be as corporatedriven as anyone’s. Big bucks are coming from southeast oil and his largest donation ($25,000) comes from the Estevan-based Panteluk family, whose construction company has had several tendered contracts with the province.

Tina Beaudry-Mellor’s mere ■

$34,424 — $15,000 of which came from her husband’s law firm — suggests a campaign disadvantaged by a lack of resources.

Wyant’s $111,181 is the secondmost ■ corporate-based at 71 per cent. That said, for a candidate accused of being too “Liberal,” large donations from normally conservative businesses (Wyant’s largest donation was $20,000 from Redhead Equipment) may not be the worst thing.