John,
The People’s Party of Canada recently filed its 2021
audited financial report with Elections Canada, in accordance with
regulations. That report covers the 12-month period between January 1
and December 31, 2021.
We would like to highlight the main
items in this report so that you aware of the Party’s financial
situation as a member, volunteer, candidate, supporter, or as a donor
or potential donor. You can read the full report here.
The
People’s Party of Canada was launched by Maxime Bernier in September
2018 and registered under the Canada Election Act in January 2019.
2021 was therefore the third full year of the Party’s existence.
ELECTION YEAR
Since 2021 was an
election year, we predictably raised and spent a lot more money than
in the previous year. Numbers from 2020 and 2021 are displayed in the
full report for comparison.
The largest
item of expenses was election advertising at $1,343,722. Travel
expenses, mostly to pay for the Leader touring the country during the
election campaign, were also significant at $244,015.
The
Party transferred $40,000 to the Leader’s campaign in Beauce, and
$150,551 to various candidates in key ridings.
REVENUES
In 2021, the Party raised
$2,942,602 in donations and $143,754 in membership fees. After adding
transfers, interest income, and revenues from promotional material,
total revenues for 2021 amounted to $3,149,555.
SALARIES AND PROFESSIONAL FEES
The
Party spent $536,801 on salaries and benefits in 2021. The Party’s had
13 full-time employees at the end of the year, including the Leader.
Mr. Bernier’s salary in 2021 was $104,000, the same as in 2020. The
Party also paid $198,454 in professional fees to non-staffers.
VARIOUS EXPENSES
In 2021, the Party
also spent the following amounts on:
Much higher bank charges compared to 2020 are explained by the fact
that our revenues also increased significantly. Bank charges are
unfortunately unavoidable when donations are being made online. We
must pay a fee of $0.32 for each transaction plus 2.9% of the amount
donated to payment processors. We are looking at alternatives in order
to reduce these charges.
Note that following the outbreak of
the COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to reduce costs during these
uncertain times, the Party closed its Gatineau office in June 2020 and
only reopened one in Ottawa in July 2021 in preparation for the
general election. All staffers worked remotely during that period.
SURPLUS
The Party manages its
finances in a responsible manner, did not borrow any money to run its
election campaigns in 2019 and 2021, and does not have any debt.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we finished the year 2021 with
a surplus of $453,477 in cash and cash equivalents. We also had
$634,830 in temporary investments. We are putting money aside for the
next election, which could happen at any moment with a minority
government.
CONCLUSION
Running a
party necessitates the work of thousands of volunteers, but also
involves unavoidable costs. We are proud of what has been accomplished
by the People’s Party of Canada so far and we thank the generous
donors who made it possible.
If you want to help the Party be
better financially prepared to sell its bold Canada First platform and fight for
Freedom, Responsibility, Fairness and Respect in the next election, please donate here.
Many thanks,
The PPC Team
July 22, 2022