Éric Duhaime’s Conservative Party has taken advantage of the wave of opposition to health measures to raise much more election funding than its opponents since the start of the year.
Seven months before the provincial election, the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) has raised more than $195,000 since January. This is three times more than the CAQ of François Legault, according to data from Elections Quebec compiled by our Bureau of investigation.
The PCQ has more individual donors than all the other parties in the National Assembly combined.
The Liberal Party of Quebec, once the fundraising champion in the heyday of Jean Charest, is now at the back of the pack. Dominique Anglade’s troops have received only 231 donations totaling less than $30,000 since January.
Thanks to the protesters
Catherine Côté, professor of political science at the University of Sherbrooke, believes that Éric Duhaime’s support for protest movements against sanitary measures has “killed several birds with one stone”.
“Being in the bigger, more national media gives him more visibility, which pushes him up in the polls, which got him to Everybody talks about it. This is not negligible, it gives credibility to his speech, she explains. Add to that the polls, higher, it is an incentive to give money because it has more chances. »
The upward trend in the PCQ’s popularity was already observable in 2021, when the party received more than 7,000 donations totaling more than $300,000. It was then in third place for the number of donations, but in fifth place for the amount raised, just behind the PLQ.
A survey conducted from February 11 to 13 by the firm Léger shows the rise of the PCQ in the voting intentions of Quebecers. The results indicate that the preservatives are at 3and rank with 14% voting intention. They even find themselves second among Francophones.
Catch up
Elected to head the PCQ less than a year ago, Éric Duhaime had less time than his opponents to build his pot and therefore has some catching up to do.
“The other political parties began to build their electoral fund the day after the last election. So there is a need for acceleration at the PCQ,” observes Éric Montigny, professor of political science at Laval University.
The Conservatives will also be at a disadvantage, because since 2013 Elections Quebec has increased the public funds paid to parties based on the percentage of votes obtained in the last election.
The regions that have contributed the most to Éric Duhaime’s party in 2022 are the Capitale-Nationale, Montérégie and Montreal.
Financing 101
The maximum amount an elector can donate to each party or independent member is $100 per year. In an election year, as is currently the case, this ceiling increases to $200.
This rule adopted by the government of Pauline Marois has been in force since 1er January 2013. Since that date, Élections Québec’s allocation to political parties has also been increased based on the amounts collected and the percentage of votes obtained.
Between 2010 and 2013, the limit per person was $1,000 per year. And before 2010, it was even $3000.