By Brian Salisbury
Four months after the Liberals swept Ottawa in the June 2 federal election, it appears they also swept the battle of the pocketbooks.
Elections Canada campaign lists for contributions of more than $100 released earlier this month show Ottawa Centre Liberal incumbent Mac Harb solicited $36,450 compared to New Democrat Jamie Heath’s $20,288, Conservative Peter Annis’ $14,075 and Reformer John Perocchio’s $9,500.
Perhaps not coincidentally, these contributions correspond with election results, almost right down to the percentage point.
Harb’s $36,450 worth of contributions make up 45.4 per cent of the $80,313 solicited by the four major candidates. That percentage is almost exactly the same as the percentage of votes cast for him, being 25,988 of 57,502 votes, or 45.2 per cent.
This correlation between money and votes has some people questioning the Liberals’ big red money-making machine, but Harb’s team is downplaying it’s financial superiority.
“It’s difficult to gauge the role that money played in the campaign,” says Harb campaign chairman Todd Burke. “I would like to think we managed our money most effectively.”
Reform candidate John Perocchio, however, rejects this kind of analysis.
“It’s easy to dismiss money when you have a machine behind you that has lots of it,” says Perocchio. “The thing that defeats most candidates is the information. You’ve got to get out, and get out often, and money has an impact on that.”
New Democrat Heath, who came second to Harb, expresses similar sentiments.
“The Liberal campaign was very much a superficial campaign,” says Heath. “At the end of the day, the election is decided in no small part by the amount of money that’s available. That’s unfortunate.”
Burke, speaking on behalf of Harb who was unavailable for comment, defends his campaign, saying there was “not a lot of money spent on a variety of advertising mediums we could have used.
“There was no exorbitant spending in this campaign,” emphasizes Burke.
A brief look at the contributions shows that Harb was most popular with the corporate sector, gaining $5,250 compared with Annis’ $4,650, Perocchio’s $1,400 and Heath’s $600. Heath, meanwhile, had the largest chunk of private citizen contributions. He had 70 donations from individual citizens combining for $14,988. The next closest was Annis with $9,425, along with Harb at $6,200 and Perocchio’s $3,200.
The largest difference in campaign contributions comes from how much local riding associations donated. Harb received $24,000 from the Ottawa Centre Federal Liberals compared with Heath’s $1,500, while Annis and Perocchio did not receive any money at all from their riding associations.
This gap does not surprise Heath, who says the Liberals are backed by large businesses.
“I don’t feel resentful (of the gap) because our party is different. If the Royal Bank started to give us big cheques, I would probably think we’re doing something wrong,” jabs Heath.
This leaves candidates like Heath and Perocchio to their own devices when covering their campaign expenses.
“(Reform) candidates on the ground are expected to raise their own money,” says Perocchio.
When asked how his campaign might have been altered to raise more money Perocchio replied: “There’s not much you can do.”
Contribution lists and other election documents are currently available to the public at Ottawa Centre returning officer Marjorie Hansen’s office on Arthur Street.
Federal campaign contributions
Who gave what to whom in Ottawa Centre:
The following is a complete list, as released by Elections Canada, of political contributions of over $100 to the campaigns of the four major candidates in Ottawa Centre in the June 9 federal election.
Mac Harb, Liberal
Individuals
Charles Beal, $250
James Lyon, $250
David Gavsie, $150
Lloyd Francis, $250
Rod Bryden, $300
Catherine Kennedy, $200
Lorne Kelly, $200
Adel Monsour, $200
Fedel Abdelnour, $400
Avraham Iny, $200
Joan Wong, $200
Michael Wong, $200
Dr. Khaled Hasem, $200
Mario/Danielle Cuconato,$300
Taffy Nahas, $200
Ferris Beauchamp, $300
Dr. Richard Begg, $200
Gregory King, $1,300
Taha Qirbi, $300
Kaleem Akhtar, $200
Dr. David Gibbs, $200
Nathan Smith, $200
Business and Commercial
Organizations
Brouse Holdings, $200
Ainsley Graham and Assoc. $500
1191645 Ontario Ltd., $200
Minto Developments Inc., $1,000
Blue Line Taxi Co. Ltd., $200
Gowling, Strathy and Henderson,
$1,000
Osgoode Properties, $200
Paul Diogardi, $200
Anton Financial Analyst, $200
Al-Mohajer Publishing, $200
Fraser and Beatty, $200
Imerti Masonry Inc., $300
Profac Management, $200
Kanata Research Park Inc., $600
ZV Holdings, $250
Future Tech Investments, $200
AT & T Canada, $200
Political Organizations other than Registered Parties
Ottawa Centre Federal Liberal Riding Association, $24,000
Other Organizations
St. Peter’s and Paul Church,
$400
Total, $36,450
Jamey Heath, NDP
Individuals
Evelyn Gigantes, $750
E.W. Sutherland, $500
Joan Elieson, $500
Robert Read, $400
Catherine Boucher, $300
Harold Jones, $250.31
Brian Carroll, $250
Marion Dewar, $250
Nola Balogh, $250
Patricia Hill, $250
Simon McInnes, $250
Stan Currie, $250
Kealy Cummings, $247.57
A.V. Lovink, $200
Ann Dennis, $200
Ann Varga-Toth, $200
Cres Pascucci, $200
David Gamble, $200
David Tait, $200
Deborah Barton, $200
Derek Ballantyne, $200
Douglas Faulkner, $200
Duncan Bury, $200
Elizabeth Whitmore, $200
Frances Mallory, $200
Gail Wagdin, $200
Heather Fraser, $200
Heidi Van Dyk, $200
James Mallory, $200
Jamey Heath, $200
Jan Dary, $200
Joanna Cigler, $200
John Taylor, $200
Jonathan Pierre, $200
Louise Tardiff, $200
M.G. McNaughton Scott, $200
Madelaine Aubrey, $200
Mary Eady, $200
Maureen Ellingham, $200
Michael Cassidy, $200
Michael Ostroff, $200
Norma Ballantyne, $200
Nancy Kenyon, $200
Ole Hendrickson, $200
Peter Bowie, $200
Peter Nagalo, $200
Prudence Craib, $200
Roger Heath, $200
Russell Bison, $200
Sara Andrews, $200
Sybil Drake, $200
Terri Gigantes, $200
V. Bryan Wannop, $200
Dan Lofuden, $200
Kealy Cummings, $200
Diane Holmes, $150
Frances Tanner, $150
George McColm, $150
John Campbell, $150
Joyce Gifford, $150
M. Folton, $150
Michael Miller, $150
Pat Steenberg, $150
Peter Childs, $150
Rick Robinson, $150
Stephen Gorman, $150
William Knight, $150
Alex Munter, $140
Colin Betts, $125
David Pepper, $125
Business and Commerical
Enterprises
Fort Huggins and Associates, $400
Bourns and Associates, $200
Trade Unions
Retail Wholesale Canada, $1,000
U.S.W.A Local 5297, $1,000
Political Organizations other than Registered Parties
Ottaw Centre NDP Riding Association, $1,500
Registered Parties
New Democratic Party, $1,200
Total, $20,288.72
Peter Annis, PC
Individuals
Marguerite A. Hale, $200
Alan Cooper, $250
Chris Thompson, $300
John A. MacNaughton, $1,000
Herbert Stuemer, $300
Gail MacNaughton, $500
A. David Morrow, $200
K. Laroche, $150
Graham Clarke, $500
Wendy Simpson, $200
William T. Houston, $250
John. G. M. Hooper, $400
Robert J. Buchan, $150
William H. Neville, $200
Elizabeth L. Pitney, $500
M. Galazka, $200
Peter Thompson, $200
C.J. Michael Flavall, $300
Robert E. Houston, $250
William G. Fenton, $200
Peter K. Doody, $200
Mary Alice MacNeil, $250
Stephen Barker, $200
Raymond J. Ostiguy, $250
Dr. Tom Barkley, $250
Edward B. O’Connor, $200
John Nelligan, $200
Gerald H. MacGarvie, $250
Peter Thompson, $200
Paterson Hendry, $200
John Pigott, $500
Michael Moss, $350
Henry S. Brown, $125
Business and Commercial
Organizations
Homestead Land Holdings Ltd., $200
Cave Development and
Management, $200
Arthur McColl Barrister and
Solicitor, $200
Delcan Corporation, $500
KPMG, $1,200
Graham Bird and
Associates, $250
Canadian Tire Associate Store 97, $1,000
Domicile Developments Inc., $500
Urbandale Corporation, $300
H.M.R. Management Holdings Ltd., $300
Total, $14,075
John Perrochio, Reform
Individual
Wanda E. Archambault, $500
Charles Mitchell, $750
Graham W. Stremes, $300
L. Urban Smith, $200
Russell Pchajek, $200
Josephine Green, $200
Marjorie Gray, $200
Mary Kozloski, $250
Donald E. Cutts, $300
M. B. Chaquette, $300
Business and Commerical
Organizations
Select Auto Glass, $200
Corel Corporation, $1,000
Takaki Automotive Corp., $200
Registered Parties
Ottawa Centre Reform, $4,000
Total, $9,500