Candidates in Saanich North and the Islands during last May’s provincial election period, raised and spent more money than they did in the previous election.

Elections BC recently released is reports on B.C. political contributions and election expenses in a searchable database.

Green Party candidate — and the new MLA for the riding — Adam Olsen spent a lot more money during the 2017 election campiagn: $142,898.82, than he did four years ago.

That’s a large jump compared with the $63,286.92 in expenses Olsen incurred in the 2013 provincial election — which ended with Olsen in third place, only 379 votes behind BC Liberal Candidate Stephen Roberts and election winner Gary Holman of the NDP.

In the 2017 election, Holman spent $106,220.25 — compared with the $104,090.11 his campaign spent in 2013. Last May, he placed second behind Olsen in the election reults.

Roberts’ campaign spent the most in the 2017 election period: $146,603. That’s appriximately $22,000 more than he spent in 2013 ($124,601.39). Roberts came within 163 votes of Holman four years ago. However Roberts was a distant third place in the 2017 race.

Overall, the B.C. NDP took in more than $9 million in political contributions for the May B.C. election, with the help of more than $3 million from unions, compared to $7.6 million for the B.C. Liberals, according to expense filings released by Elections B.C.

The filings show the B.C. Liberals outspent the NDP by $4.6 million to $4.3 million during the restricted spending period of the election, in what is expected to be the last B.C. campaign with the current loose limits on political contributions and expenditures. The NDP minority government has pledged to ban corporate and union donations and put a limit on individual donations.

editor@peninsulanewsreview.com



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