The minority governing Conservatives' staggering lead on the other main parties in financial donations last year and a lingering question about its creation through a merger of the former federal Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties have sparked more comparisons between Conservative tactics and U.S. Republican Party political methods.
A senior Conservative Senator has confirmed to The Hill Times that the former Progressive Conservative Party, until its merger with the Canadian Alliance eight years ago to form the Conservative Party of Canada, had retained one of the most prestigious fundraising and direct marketing firms in the U.S. during its majority government years under then-prime minister Brian Mulroney.
And, a former member of the Conservative Party who did not want to be identified, told The Hill Times the direct mail solicitations for donations he continues to receive from the Conservative Fund Canada, the financial arm of the party, contain the same kind of messaging, style and appearance as the solicitations he once received from the Progressive Conservative Party.
Conservative Senator Don Oliver, a former board member of the Progressive Conservative Party's fundraising arm, the PC Canada Fund, confirmed the PC Party retained the Falls Church, Virginia, firm of Odell, Simms & Lynch when he was on the board. The company, established in 1974, has long had Republican Party links, and one of its founders, Robert Odell, is now a Republican state Senator in New Hampshire.
"When I was involved, Bob Odell certainly gave us a lot of advice, but I don't know when the contract severed, I know nothing about that," Sen. Oliver told The Hill Times.
He said the U.S. firm advised the Conservatives on messages and content for the letters to mail to party supporters or potential party supporters to solicit contributions.
Confirmation of the fundraising methods of the Progressive Conservative Party and rumours within the Conservative Party that the formula was passed on through the merger have prompted opposition MPs to further criticize Mr. Harper's recent declaration he intends to campaign in the next election on a platform that includes elimination of the multi-million-dollar system of public allowances for qualifying federal parties. While the PC Party had its U.S.-based fundraising system to bring to the merger table, Mr. Harper's Canadian Alliance Party had an extensive grassroots mailing list from the populist campaign Preston Manning, and at the early stages, Mr. Harper had used to oust the federal PC Party from western Canada and some parts of Ontario.
Because of the successful Conservative fundraising formula, and the government's tactic of using legislative and policy initiatives such as the flood of 'tough on crime' bills over the past four years to appeal to the core Conservative base, elimination of the public allowances would make the Conservative Party the financial Goliath of federal politics.
The allowance, now a payment through Elections Canada of $2 per vote for every vote qualifying parties receive, was brought in by the former Liberal government of Jean Chrétien when it banned union and corporate donations and limited federal political donations to $5,000 from each donor, effective Jan. 1, 2004. Mr. Harper lowered the individual donations to $1,000 in 2006.
Opposition MPs question Mr. Harper's position, in light of evidence his party may be paying a Republican-connected direct marketer for advice on the messaging and design that has proved so lucrative for the Conservatives.
But, because of the secrecy surrounding its fundraising methods, the Conservative Party refuses to confirm whether it has used the methods so successfully since the merger and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's (Calgary-Southwest, Alta.) election as the first leader of the new party in 2003. It will not deny or confirm whether it continues to use the same Virginia-based company as the Progressive Conservatives.
"We don't comment on how we fundraise, though I'm sure the other parties would love to know," Conservative Party spokesman Fred DeLorey said in an email response to questions.
A Hill Times telephone request for an interview with Odell, Simms & Lynch, left with an attendant who answered the company's phone, was not returned.
Party financial reports Elections Canada posted on its website last week showed how far ahead of its main rivals the Conservative Party remains in financial support from donors. The party raised $17.3 million in 2010, compared to $7-million collected by the Liberal party, $4.4-million raised by the NDP, $1.3-million by the Green Party and $642,500 by the Bloc Québécois.
Sen. Oliver said he suspects the Liberal Party depends on similar outside help for its fundraising efforts.
"I'm sure they've gone to many experts, there are dozens of people who have this type of expertise, and I'm sure the Democratic Party has all kinds, and the Republican Party has them. In the States, raising money for a Senate seat is a huge business. The day you're elected, the next day you start, and it's in the millions, so there are many experts down there who can give you good advice," Sen. Oliver said.
But a Liberal Party spokeswoman said an in-house fundraising team "works with a Canadian broker, and they work with Canadian creative agencies, letter shops, printers, and that's how we execute our direct mail campaign."
NDP national director Brad Lavigne said his party also depends on a Canadian consulting firm to help design and produce its direct-mail fundraising.
Liberal and NDP MPs said the Conservative fundraising tactics, linking specific policy issues to targeted groups among voters, are, like the controversial attack ads the Conservatives released last month, borrowed from the Republican Party.
"Stephen Harper once called the Republican Party his 'shining light,' this was his quote," said Liberal MP Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering, Ont.). "I think you're seeing the same kind of strategies used by Republicans imported here, he's emulated it. What they do is they go after ultra-right-wing conservative groups, send a very targeted message to raise enormous amounts of money that make them very beholden to that money."
NDP MP Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre, Ont.) also questioned the Conservative fundraising style and tactics, as well as the U.S.-style of attack ads.
"Here's a party that claims to want to be standing up for Canada, and meanwhile it's using an American platform [style] to raise money," he said.
tnaumetz@hilltimes.com
The Hill Times
Source: The Hill Times
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