The big-money party is over, and what a party it was. Given its well-deserved reputation in B.C., it’s fitting that it went out with a bang in 2017.
First, though, a walk down memory lane for an appreciation of its shock-and-awe legacy on B.C. politics.
Between 2005 and 2017, B.C.’s political parties reported $206.9 million in donations ($250 or more), with the B.C. Green Party raking in $4.3 million, the B.C. NDP $63 million and the B.C. Liberals $132 million. Trade unions accounted for $20.6 million of the haul, individuals $74.9 million and corporations $90.4 million, with the balance split among unincorporated businesses and non-profits.
The Liberals brought in another $7.9 million in donations under $250 and the NDP $18 million.
The United Steelworkers Union was the top donor at $3.35 million (all to the NDP), while Teck Resources was runner-up with $2.6 million to the Liberals and $112,230 to the NDP.
The award for most generous sector goes to the real-estate industry at more than $27 million.
Together, the B.C. Real Estate Association, three industry-related firms and 42 property developers accounted for $23 million of the $27 million.
The year 2017 was par for the course.
The Green Party raised $1.44 million, all of it from individuals. Its largest donor was former candidate Jerry Kroll at $29,190. The party ended the year with a $206,951 surplus.
The Liberal Party pulled in $13 million. There was a four-way tie for largest donation at $100,000 among Aquilini Investment Group, Townline Homes, Rick Ilich and Chip Wilson. It ended the year in the red by $7.4 million.
The NDP was tops in the fundraising department at $15.4 million, with the United Steelworkers cutting the largest cheque at $500,000. The party ended 2017 with an $820,470 surplus.
Perhaps hoping for a friendly ear from the new government — and not quite certain which party it would be after May 9 — a few donors were in a quandary, and two parties the beneficiaries.
The Liberals raised $3.2 million from corporations post-election, more than $1.1 million of it from 13 property developers.
Companies controlled by U.K.-based billionaire Murray Edwards donated $48,900 to the Liberals, including $11,900 from Imperial Metals, owner of the Mount Polley Mine.
When the government changed hands, though, something funny happened on the way to the bank. It turns out quite a few traditional Liberal donors were no longer that party’s best friends forever.
The New Car Dealers Association donated $90,050 to the Liberals in 2017 and $55,500 to the NDP, but only after it had assumed power.
In the preceding 12 years, the association donated $1.3 million to the Liberals and $82,790 to the NDP.
Site C contractor-to-be Aecon ($5,000) made its first appearance on an NDP donor list.
The NDP went on the political fundraising equivalent of a pub crawl on Sept. 21, reporting $579,500 in donations from the booze industry.
The party brought in more than $700,000 from property developers — $500,130 from 10 families alone — but unlike the crawl, no one date jumps out. The results seem more like a family-by-family affair.
Hoping for the best, companies in the oil and gas industry pumped more than $64,000 into the party’s coffers, including Encana ($30,525), Woodfibre LNG ($6,850) and Conocophillips ($1,050).
Kinder Morgan doesn’t appear on the NDP’s list.
The NDP raised more than $126,000 from trade associations, including the Insurance Bureau of Canada ($21,200), the Progressive Contractors Association ($5,000) and the Victoria Harbour Authority ($500).
Even the slots paid off for the NDP, with $68,483 in donations from B.C. casinos.
Despite tabling a bill on Sept. 18 to ban corporate and union donations, both the NDP and Liberals continued the practice till “big money’s” final breath, pulling in just shy of $3.2 million between them.
RIP, big money. You won’t be missed.
Dermod Travis is the executive director of IntegrityBC.
