$8 million to beat Copps, Manley and Rock
The Globe and Mail article that focused on the $3.8 million that is going into the Liberal party accounts contained the following:
"Mr. Martin took in more than $12-million in the record-setting fundraising drive that carried him to the leadership last November."
This number was probably released a while ago but I had never seen it and it really is amazing. Firstly, while expenditures in the campaign were capped at $4 million it didn't include expenses that occured before the race officially started in February of 2003, it means that Martin spent $4 million prior to the official race! Secondly, it is amazing that it actually took more than $8 million to beat Copps, Manley and Rock.
On the same page, in the print edition, there is an article talking about the Conservative Party leadership campaign rules including an expenditure cap of $2.5 million. Martin will have used more than three times that in his 'campaign'.
What is the problem with all of this? A lack of ideas from alternative candidates for one. Rock and Manley couldn't ante up and now Mackay, Strahl, and Prentice in the CPC aren't going to join the race for basically the same reasons. It can only get worse unless tighter rules are put in place or if alternative methods of campaigning, like Dean's blog sites orginally did, can even the playing field.
"Mr. Martin took in more than $12-million in the record-setting fundraising drive that carried him to the leadership last November."
This number was probably released a while ago but I had never seen it and it really is amazing. Firstly, while expenditures in the campaign were capped at $4 million it didn't include expenses that occured before the race officially started in February of 2003, it means that Martin spent $4 million prior to the official race! Secondly, it is amazing that it actually took more than $8 million to beat Copps, Manley and Rock.
On the same page, in the print edition, there is an article talking about the Conservative Party leadership campaign rules including an expenditure cap of $2.5 million. Martin will have used more than three times that in his 'campaign'.
What is the problem with all of this? A lack of ideas from alternative candidates for one. Rock and Manley couldn't ante up and now Mackay, Strahl, and Prentice in the CPC aren't going to join the race for basically the same reasons. It can only get worse unless tighter rules are put in place or if alternative methods of campaigning, like Dean's blog sites orginally did, can even the playing field.
