Close X
Thursday, November 7, 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

Spy probe of 'critical importance': watchdog

Spy probe of 'critical importance': watchdog
The national intelligence watchdog has begun its look into the failure of Canada's spy service to disclose crucial information when seeking warrants.

Spy probe of 'critical importance': watchdog

Bail delayed for accused in Rideau Hall crash

Bail delayed for accused in Rideau Hall crash
A bail hearing for the man accused of threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been delayed until the end of July while his lawyer waits to see the evidence against him.

Bail delayed for accused in Rideau Hall crash

Search intensifies for missing Quebec father

Search intensifies for missing Quebec father
Quebec provincial police deployed in large numbers southwest of Quebec City Friday, the ninth day of the manhunt for the father of two young girls found dead last weekend.

Search intensifies for missing Quebec father

Inmate dies in prison after 51 years behind bars

Inmate dies in prison after 51 years behind bars
A man in his 70s has died behind bars, almost 51-years after receiving a life sentence for a double murder in Ontario, two sexual assaults and several other offences.

Inmate dies in prison after 51 years behind bars

New projects must be 'net zero' by 2050

New projects must be 'net zero' by 2050
Proposals for new mines, power plants, pipelines or railways in Canada will have to include plans to hit "net zero" emissions by 2050 if they have any hope of getting approved.

New projects must be 'net zero' by 2050

Tories seek Trudeau family's speaking records

Tories seek Trudeau family's speaking records
A second House of Commons committee is debating whether to probe the aborted deal between the federal government and WE Charity to run a massive student-volunteering program.

Tories seek Trudeau family's speaking records