Building a war chest, one chicken plate at a time

Eleven months before the next general election, political partisans in Newfoundland and Labrador are being asked to put their dollars where their appetites are.

Recent fundraisers for the governing Progressive Conservatives and Opposition Liberals, though, say a lot about the positions the parties are in as they build up their finances for the 2007 election campaign.

"We [have] a big job on our hands— there's no two ways about it," said Art Reid, a former Liberal cabinet minister who is trying to raise money for his younger brother, Opposition leader Gerry Reid.

Still mired in debt from the 2003 election, the Liberals are cautiously hopeful that a string of fundraisers will help pay the bills leading to the general election that will be held Oct. 9, 2007, as dictated by provincial law.

A recent fundraiser featuring acting federal leader Bill Graham attracted a loyal following, each willing to pay $250 for a chicken dinner.

Reid estimated that the night could bring in between $50,000 and $60,000.

"We just went through another fundraiser a couple of months ago where we made $50,000, so $100,000 a year— that's not too bad," Reid said.

But for the governing Tories— and another brother of another leader— the target is much more substantial.

"I don't mind telling you that we are building a war chest for next October," said PC organizer Tom Williams— younger brother of Premier Danny Williams — as he overlooked a busy hotel room filled with party supporters.

There, supporters dined on prime rib au jus for a contribution of $500 each— the sort of markup that is hard to charge in opposition.

The PCs have been gliding high in public opinion polls over the last year, giving them a clear advantage over the Liberals.

More ambitious target

Being the team in power has its privileges. Able to pay off its campaign debt, the PCs have been building toward 2007, with a more ambitious target for the latest dinner: about $200,000, or about three to four times the Liberal goal.

"It would be in that vicinity," Williams told CBC News. "It's hard to tell until you get all the bills in… but that's the kind of goal we try to hit for an event like this."

Danny Dumaresque, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal party, said the Liberals are overcoming problems caused by the $1.2 million they spent during the 2003 campaign.

"The bank is saying, 'Look, we recognize you have to go out there and fight an election. It costs money.…You perform as you said you were going to by the letter of our agreement, and we're going to be there for you,' " said Dumaresque.

Business community still willing to cut cheques

The Tories have had little trouble appealing to the business community, even though Williams has targeted companies — including what he called "Big Oil" behind the stalled Hebron offshore development— with the same zeal as political rivals.

"Whether it be the fishery or the oil industry, it might be difficult from the business side," Williams said.

"Corporate wise, [business leaders will say], 'We got to take a stance against him, but between me and me, we really believe in what he's doing," said Tom Williams. Asked if those businesses will follow up and cut cheques, he said, "Oh yeah."

Fundraising from business circles has sparked one of the key issues in the fall sitting of the house of assembly.

Danny Williams has come under steady fire from the Liberals for the province's contribution of $15 million toward a fibre optic network that involves companies managed by former business associates.

As well, Electoral Office data show that two of the companies, Persona Communications and Rogers Communications,have donated generously in the last two years to the PCs, and donated nothing to the other parties.

Pressed on the issue in the house of assembly, Danny Williams said corporate donations are a fact of life.

"The way the system is set up is that we have to solicit corporate funds in order to keep our parties going," Williams told the house this week.

"If at some point in time it has to be changed and the government and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are going to fund political parties, well then, so be it, but right now there has to be a solicitation process."