The Conservative Party of Canada raised the most money of any federal party in 2021, bringing in $26.4 million in donations during a tumultuous year that ended with an election loss and speculation about the end of Erin O’Toole’s leadership.
Audited financial statements filed with Elections Canada show that’s just shy of $6 million more than the party raised in 2020, and the number of people who gave money to the Tories—95,000—was up by about 5,000 year-over-year.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals brought in $18.1 million from 75,800 donors, about $3 million more than in 2020.
Both parties also took on large loans in 2021, with the Liberals borrowing $30 million from six lenders, and the Conservatives taking out a $29-million loan that was repaid in full early in 2022….