Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Campaign fundraising error less than $10K: Greens

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Oct, 2020 09:56 PM
  • Campaign fundraising error less than $10K: Greens

The Green Party of Canada says the amount of money accidentally deposited with the party rather than Glen Murray's leadership campaign adds up to less than $10,000.

Murray says he is not yet convinced the damage stops there but credits the party with doing what it can to fix the problem.

He says the damage to his campaign has been done, preventing his team from doing some planned work because it didn't think it had the money.

The party says in a statement today it has forwarded $9,630 from 35 donors to Murray's campaign, and added under 10 people to the membership list whose memberships weren't properly approved.

The party says the donations were "incorrectly processed" but the situation has now been rectified.

Murray says media coverage of the problem has led to many phone calls from supporters who say they are concerned their donation didn't go through, or didn't get a ballot to vote in the leadership race.

He says his campaign team is focused on getting their vote out right now. Digital voting started last weekend and runs through Saturday, when the winner will be announced at an event in Ottawa.

Murray's campaign team will meet Sunday to figure out what else has to be done.

"I'm not sure at this point we'll ever get a final number," he said Thursday in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Murray said the party reported publicly on fundraising efforts by the candidates but since his numbers were incorrect, it "misrepresented" the strength of his campaign.

According to the most recently released public figures, Murray had raised $62,550 as of Aug. 31, from 353 donors.

That left him in fourth place for money raised and in sixth place for the number of donors, out of the eight candidates in the race.

Toronto activist and lawyer Annamie Paul led both counts, with $186,326 raised from 1,622 donors.

If the problem was limited to $9,630 and 35 donors, neither of Murray's placements on those lists would have changed.

Murray said he is disappointed this happened, and knows it could affect the outcome of the race but he said "the party is really going out of its way" to try to fix it.

This is the first Green leadership contest in 14 years. Former leader Elizabeth May stepped down almost a year ago, but stayed on as an MP and the parliamentary leader in the House of Commons.

None of the eight contestants running to succeed her are currently MPs. Paul is running in the current byelection in Toronto Centre, where she was also a candidate in the 2019 election.

MORE National ARTICLES

N.B. Liberals announce ex-Tory as candidate

N.B. Liberals announce ex-Tory as candidate
Former Progressive Conservative deputy leader Robert Gauvin has flipped to the Liberals and took a swipe at his former colleagues Tuesday, calling them "ice cold" when it comes to helping the most vulnerable.

N.B. Liberals announce ex-Tory as candidate

Nisga'a leader Joe Gosnell dies at 85

Nisga'a leader Joe Gosnell dies at 85
A statement from the Nisga'a Lisims government of northwestern British Columbia says Gosnell died in his home in New Aiyansh after a long battle with cancer.

Nisga'a leader Joe Gosnell dies at 85

Many parents nervous about school: survey

Many parents nervous about school: survey
With only weeks until classes resume, a new survey suggests the majority of Canadian parents plan to send their kids back to school but most would want classes cancelled if there is a new COVID-19 outbreak in their community.

Many parents nervous about school: survey

Halifax constables given suspended sentences

Halifax constables given suspended sentences
A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge on Monday handed two special constables with Halifax police suspended sentences with three years probation in the June 2016 suffocation death of an inmate at the city's detention centre.

Halifax constables given suspended sentences

Belarus election 'fraudulent': Champagne

Belarus election 'fraudulent': Champagne
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada does not accept the results of the "fraudulent" presidential election in Belarus.

Belarus election 'fraudulent': Champagne

Masks will be mandatory at times in B.C. schools

Masks will be mandatory at times in B.C. schools
Staff and students at middle and secondary schools in British Columbia will be required to wear masks on buses and in common areas when classes resume.

Masks will be mandatory at times in B.C. schools