With a campaign debt of roughly $1.5 million, new fundriaising numbers show the "collapse" of Alberta's long-governing Progressive Conservatives, say political analysts.

Financial disclosures released Thursday evening by Elections Alberta show the Wildrose Party smoked the Alberta NDP in post-election fundraising, taking in $263,675 between July 1 and Sept. 30, while the PCs fell to fourth place.

The Alberta NDP raised $82,745, followed by the Liberal Party with $29,285 and the PCs with just $15,575.

"The big news here is the collapse of the PC Party," said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt.

"They are large in debt and I don't know how they're going to get out of that. They can't raise money. Getting rid of corporate donations really hurt them and individuals aren't going to pony up...It's going to be really tough sledding for them."

Bratt said he believes the PCs will limp to the next election but eventually, "they're going to disappear."

Interim PC Leader Ric McIver said he was aware fundraising was "nonexistent" following the May 5 election defeat but said the party was hampered by a post-election slump, federal campaign fundraising as well as new legislation banning corporate and union donations.

"This is not a good report for us, we're aware of that," he said.

"I guess congratulations to the NDP on being successful in their partisan legislation to make it harder for us to raise money so it is what it is and we're going to have to regroup, raise money differently than we have in the past, and soldier on."

McIver refuted claims that his party is on its death bed, saying "half the parties alive in Alberta today have been dead and buried by the media more than once in the last year."

McIver said the party has made arrangements to pay back its creditors with the total campaign debt estimated to be "in the area of $1.5 million."

"If the Alberta PC Party was a person, he'd be eligible for low-income social assistance in Fort McMurray," quipped conservative political activist Ezra Levant.

The Wildrose retained the largest pool of small donors, with $208,850 coming from donors giving $250 or less.

"The PCs are going to have a tough time paying their debts but I'm not surprised by our numbers," said Wildrose executive director Jeremy Nixon. "We have a great base. We're supported by everyday Albertans so we haven't been as impacted by the corporate giving change."

Total contributions to all parties didn't crack $400,000 this quarter after MLAs passed a ban on corporate and union donations in June. Compared to the same time last year, when the PC leadership race saw the once-governing party take in $412,000 by itself and total contributions topped $1.4 million, political donations dropped by roughly $1 million.

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca

@SunMattDykstra