NDP can afford to fight again, party says

This might lead to an earlier rather than later election ...

NDP can afford to fight again, party says

GLORIA GALLOWAY

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

November 12, 2008 at 4:27 AM EST

OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats say they will have money to fight an election if the new Conservative government falls quickly - but they won't try to topple the minority Tories just because opportunities arise.

Not all of the 2008 election receipts are in yet. But the NDP says Leader Jack Layton will come very close to his goal of spending the $20,063,430 allowed by Elections Canada. It will be the first time in history that the party has reached the limit.

"We believed it was excellent value to spend as much as we legally could in this past campaign to maximize our vote as well as our seat count," communications director Brad Lavigne said in a telephone interview yesterday. The New Democrats gained seven seats for a total of 37 MPs.

Of course, they did not have $20-million in the bank at the start of the campaign. Like the Liberals, they had to borrow money.

"With any election campaign, you calculate every dollar that you are going to be borrowing against what you can raise in the short term following that campaign," Mr. Lavigne said.

The party stands to recoup half of its election spending in an automatic rebate from Elections Canada. It will also take a percentage of the rebate money that will flow to individual candidates - an amount that is anticipated to add up to millions of dollars.

It will get more than $4.8-million for 2008 through a government subsidy based on popular vote. And, through the first three quarters of the year, the New Democrats out-fundraised the Liberals, bringing in $3.7-million from 44,000 donors.

James Morton
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