Thursday, December 25, 2025
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

Quebec police reporting uptick in online threats

Quebec police reporting uptick in online threats
Earlier this week, interim Parti Quebecois Leader Pascal Berube called out online threats posted against him and his partner as politicians of all stripes denounced the comments.

Quebec police reporting uptick in online threats

Cargo theft a growing concern in Canada

Cargo theft a growing concern in Canada
In 2014, when the bureau started compiling cargo theft statistics, $270,000 in stolen cargo was recovered. In 2019, that figure was $14 million.

Cargo theft a growing concern in Canada

N.S. First Nation launches lobster fleet

N.S. First Nation launches lobster fleet
A Canadian Coast Guard vessel was spotted offshore, but a federal spokeswoman later said there were no reports of violence on the water.

N.S. First Nation launches lobster fleet

WATCH: Early Election For BC a possibility

WATCH: Early Election For BC a possibility
WATCH: It’s a trick or a treat for the BC NDP as the possibility of an early provincial election looms for British Columbians.

WATCH: Early Election For BC a possibility

Virtual health care here to stay

Virtual health care here to stay
Patient advocates describe the shift as a double-edged sword, saying the increased health-care access that remote care can provide is often countered by drawbacks that place seniors, disabled Canadians and other marginalized communities at greater risk of harm.

Virtual health care here to stay

Mourners grieve Traynor family killed in shooting

Mourners grieve Traynor family killed in shooting
Fifty-year-old Chris Traynor and the couple's children, 20-year-old Bradley Traynor, 15-year-old Adelaide Traynor and 11-year-old Joseph Traynor were killed in their home earlier this month.

Mourners grieve Traynor family killed in shooting