The P.E.I. Liberal Party may have lost the spring election, but they continued to demonstrate fundraising prowess in 2018.

The party raised more money than all other parties combined for at least the eighth year in a row, according to newly-released numbers from Elections P.E.I.

The fundraising success of the parties in 2018 bore little resemblance to the 2019 election results.

The Liberals, despite raising the most cash, were reduced to third party status. The NDP moved ahead of the Greens again, after slipping to fourth place in 2017. But the Greens went on to form the Official Opposition, while the NDP won just three per cent of the vote.

Last call for corporate donations

Almost 40 per cent of the money raised by the Liberals, almost $165,000, came in the form of corporate donations before those became illegal as of June 2018.

The Progressive Conservatives and NDP also raised significant funds from corporate donations before that deadline, about $38,000 for the PCs and $30,000 for the NDP.

The Greens had already decided not to accept corporate donations.

Also in June of 2018, an annual cap on individual donations came in, starting at $3,000.

Elections P.E.I. says it is checking to make sure parties are complying with the new rules.

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