Pro-separation group Let Alberta Decide leads referendum fundraising with $207K
The group has raised roughly a third of the maximum allowed advertising spend, while pro-Confederation campaigns have raised significantly less so far.
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The pro-separation group Let Alberta Decide has pulled out to an early fundraising lead in Alberta's October referendum campaign, raising more than $207,000 as of July 2—just over two weeks after its launch.
The group, headed by lawyer Keith Wilson and Tanya Clemens, reported donations from more than 1,000 Albertans. "I've been very pleased and somewhat surprised at the level of enthusiasm that we've received as manifested by the amount of donations," Wilson said.
Third-party advertisers must register with Elections Alberta if they plan to spend more than $1,000 on advertising. Individual, corporate, or union donations are capped at $5,000 combined per year. Advertising spending itself is capped at $607,000 per campaign, meaning Let Alberta Decide has received roughly a third of the maximum.
Wilson said the campaign will focus on digital advertising and events first, with traditional ad buys planned closer to fall. If contributions continue at the current rate, he said the group could reach the maximum spend within a couple of months.
Cory Morgan's group, Pathway to Independence, is second with more than $82,000 reported. Alberta's Voice, the leading pro-Confederation campaign, has raised $26,000 as of July 2 and has erected 40 signs in Calgary with plans for more lawn signs.
Wilson criticized the asymmetry between third-party spending caps and government exemptions. "They're all exempt from the funding and campaign rules that I'm subject to and those of us grassroots are subject to," he said, referring to the United Conservative Party government advocating for Alberta to remain in Canada.
