Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during a news conference in Delta B.C., on Jan. 16.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party raised a record-setting amount of money in 2024, newly-released financial records show.
The party brought in $41.7-million in 2024, the most they have ever raised, according to Elections Canada. Of that, $12.8-million came in the final three months of the year, a period marked by major upheaval in federal politics.
During that time, the NDP ended their supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals, placing the minority government back in a precarious state. Behind the scenes, Liberal MPs began agitating for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to quit, the Bloc Québécois also pulled their support of the government and Parliament itself was paralyzed by a procedural fight.
Then, in mid-December, Mr. Trudeau suffered a major blow when his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, quit on the day she was to deliver the fall economic statement.
That month, the Conservatives say they raised $7.6-million – even with the Canada Post strike hindering the fundraising efforts of all non-profits.
“The incredible generosity of hard-working Canadians to the Conservative Party of Canada is directly correlated to the growing movement and resonance of Pierre Poilievre’s common sense message and promise to put Canada first,” the party said in a statement accompanying the release of fundraising numbers Friday.
The Conservatives have long outpaced their rival parties in fundraising. The Elections Canada filings show the Liberals as raising $5-million in the final four months of 2024, for a year-end total of $15.2-million.
The NDP raised $2.4-million in the fourth quarter, for a year-end total of $6.27-million.
The Liberals are now in the midst of a leadership race and say the past month has been their best-ever January for fundraising. Those figures won’t be available until the end of the first quarter of 2025.
But, in an email to The Globe and Mail, Liberal Party spokesperson Parker Lund said 94 per cent of the party’s fourth-quarter donations were under $200, something he called a “true testament to the party’s strong grassroots support.
He said November also marked the party’s best month for digital fundraising, and re-stated the Liberals’ position that dollar-for-dollar, the money they raise goes farther because their party spends less on raising the money than the Conservatives do.
“While Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives try to make dangerous cuts to the programs Canadians rely on, the Liberal team have a real plan that makes housing more affordable, invests in better public health care, lowers the cost of living, and strengthen our economy for everyone,” Mr. Lund said.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Conservative Party raised $12.8-million in the final four months of 2024. Those funds came in during the final three months of the year. This version has been updated.