Big bucks spent in fed. campaign

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• BC Liberal candidate spent big cash in byelection
• Big bucks from Burke
• Big bucks for Coquitlam city hall
• Raising bucks for bears
• Tri-City community groups go for big bucks
• How do you want your money spent?

The Conservative candidate who sought to win NDP MP Fin Donnelly’s seat in New Westminster-Coquitlam in the May 2 federal election out-raised and out-spent him by tens of thousands of dollars.

According to campaign disclosures recently released, Diana Dilworth, a Port Moody city councillor, collected $115,003 in contributions — including $95,000 from the Tory riding association — while Donnelly took in $70,262 in donations, including $56,463 from his party.

Dilworth also racked up $85,804 in expenses (including advertising, surveys, office supplies and salaries) compared with Donnelly’s $69,420, and she claimed $1,860 in personal expenses versus $599 for Donnelly.

The Green Party challenger, Rebecca Helps, who, like Dilworth, is running for council in the Nov. 19 PoMo civic election, reported $3,165 in campaign donations and billed $2,238 in expenses, the Elections Canada documents show.

Figures for Liberal contender Ken Beck Lee were not available; he was granted an extension and was due to file his disclosure documents this week.

Donnelly won the riding for a second time, collecting 45.9% of the votes cast versus Dilworth’s 41.5%; Lee scored 8.1% while Helps garnered 4.3%.

Meanwhile, in the Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam riding, where Conservative MP cabinet minister James Moore ran for a fifth term, the campaign contributions heavily favoured the incumbent.

Moore took in $95,185 in donations and spent $83,988 while his closest opponent, the NDP’s Mark Ireland, took in $2,512 and billed just $1.38 more than that in expenses, the documents show. Moore spent $125 in personal expenses while Ireland had none.

Liberal candidate Stewart McGillivray’s figures were similar to Ireland’s, with $2,861 in contributions and $3,574 in expenses. The Green Party’s Kevin Kim didn’t file his disclosure papers by the deadline and was granted an extension until Nov. 1.

Moore was re-elected with 56.2% of the votes cast while Ireland received 30% of votes, McGillivray 8.5% and Kim 4.5%.

jwarren@tricitynews.com