Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 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

Student grants to increase to $4,000, says NDP

Student grants to increase to $4,000, says NDP
New Democrat Leader John Horgan says a re-elected NDP will also add 2,000 more technology spaces in post-secondary programs across B.C.

Student grants to increase to $4,000, says NDP

Quebec cities face new COVID-19 restrictions

Quebec cities face new COVID-19 restrictions
Bars, casinos, concert halls, cinemas, museums and libraries are to be shuttered and restaurants will be limited to takeout.

Quebec cities face new COVID-19 restrictions

Canadian troops reported safe after Iraq attack

Canadian troops reported safe after Iraq attack
U.S. military officials say the rockets did not hit the base located near the city of Irbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region, and the Department of National Defence said all Canadian troops at the base were safe.

Canadian troops reported safe after Iraq attack

Liberals revive bill to outlaw conversion therapy

Liberals revive bill to outlaw conversion therapy
The government had previously introduced the legislation in March, just before Parliament shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then their decision to prorogue in August erased the bill from the House of Commons agenda.

Liberals revive bill to outlaw conversion therapy

16 new COVID-19 deaths reported in Quebec

16 new COVID-19 deaths reported in Quebec
Hospitalizations increased by 13 compared with the prior day, for a total of 275, with 46 people in intensive case, a rise of three patients.

16 new COVID-19 deaths reported in Quebec

RCMP officers describe chaotic N.B. shooting scene

RCMP officers describe chaotic N.B. shooting scene
The defence has admitted that Raymond, 50, killed the victims, who were shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex, but says he should be found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.

RCMP officers describe chaotic N.B. shooting scene