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OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats ended last year by going deeper into the red.

The party’s annual return posted to the Elections Canada website shows the party finished 2018 with about $4.7 million in assets and $9.2 million in total liabilities, meaning they ended the year with $4.5 million in negative net assets.

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That makes the third year in the row the party has filed an annual financial return where total assets were less than overall liabilities.

The NDP ended 2017 with about $3.1 million in negative net assets.

It is also the worst balance sheet since 2001, which is the earliest year for which the reports are available online.

The Conservatives ended 2018 with $5.1 million in net assets and the Liberals had $1.7 million.

The return shows the NDP spent about $1.4 million more than it had coming in last year, an operating deficit that is about the same as it was in 2017.

The cash-strapped status of the NDP comes alongside questions about the party’s ability to recruit candidates to run for office in the Oct. 21 election.