Liberal leadership debts
Elections Canada has kindly passed along the exact debt numbers filed by former Liberal leadership candidates as of midnight last night.
| Contestant | Claims and Loans As Filed | Claims and Loans Paid Before June 3, 2008 | Claims and Loans With Partial Payments Before June 3, 2008 | Claims and Loans With No Payments |
| Stephane Dion | $998,707.03 | $398,707.03 | $250,000 | $350,000 |
| Carolyn Bennett | $73,865.04 | $73,865.04 | $- | $- |
| Maurizo Bevilacqua | $546,288.23 | $323,096 | $5,105.57 | $218,086.66 |
| Ken Dryden | $403,006.58 | $36,612.37 | $- | $366,394.21 |
| Michael Ignatieff | $817,235.74 | $418,308.52 | $200,000 | $198,927.22 |
| Hedy Fry | $165,059.66 | $16,559.66 | $60,000 | $88,500 |
| Gerard Kennedy | $762,852.10 | $335,013.89 | $346,204.97 | $81,633.24 |
| Bob Rae | $845,000 | $845,000 | $- | $- |
| Scott Brison | $200,095.28 | $50,095.28 | $- | $150,000 |
| Martha Hall Findlay | $261,214.95 | $8,754.82 | $75,568.43 | $176,891.7 |
| Joe Volpe | $343,199.99 | $207,323.65 | $- | $135,876.34 |
| TOTAL | $5,416,524.60 | $2,713,336.26 | $936,878.97 | $1,766,309.37 |
UPDATE — People a lot smarter than me are advising me to read these numbers with caution. First of all, Elections Canada hasn't figured into its calculations whether any of the candidates took out additional loans after the leadership. That's not all that unusual -- sometimes you have to spend money (facilities rentals, for example) to raise money.
Second, this business about loans paid and partially paid seems to be calculated on the basis of vague forms or promises, not actual receipts or evidence.
All this is to say that this is obviously a work in progress and these numbers should be seen as only a very loose, vague guide.
I guess the obvious question, Susan, is why would Elections Canada bother to put out information that is apparently incomplete and inaccurate. Any ideas ?
Posted by: jad | June 04, 2008 at 04:55 PM