Stefanson leadership bid financial info due before Fort Whyte vote

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This article was published 06/03/2022 (1026 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Heather Stefanson will disclose financial information about her run for the Progressive Conservative leadership prior to the March 22 byelection in Fort Whyte, the party says.

The PCs made the announcement Monday, in response to Manitoba Liberal calls to make such data public in the lead-up to the southwest Winnipeg vote.

“Manitobans deserve to know who donated to Stefanson’s leadership campaign, including whether (Ibrahim) Obby Khan donated,” Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said in a news release Monday.

Khan, who is running for the PCs in Fort Whyte, is founder and chief executive officer of online marketplace GoodLocal.ca.

In December 2020, GoodLocal.ca received a $500,000 grant from the province to help small local retailers sell their wares and connect with customers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lamont has gone after the PC government for the grant to Khan’s company, saying: “It doesn’t pass the smell test.”

On Monday, the PCs called on the Liberals “to stop their smear campaign” against Stefanson and Khan, “and do their homework before putting inaccurate and inflammatory remarks on the record.”

The party said it’s proud to stand behind Khan, a well-known and respected community leader, and GoodLocal.ca helped 450 local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PC party leadership race began Aug. 23, 2021, after the resignation of Tory premier Brian Pallister. The election results were announced Oct. 30, giving Stefanson the win by a slim margin.

Audited financial statements from candidates are due within 30 days after a leadership contest period — from when the contest is announced to two months after the date of the vote.

The Election Financing Act does not limit the number of times a filing deadline can be extended. An extension request has to be made in writing before the filing deadline to the chief electoral officer.

As of Monday, Ken Lee is the only PC leadership candidate who has submitted financial statements.

Lee, who filed Dec. 15, publicly opposed pandemic health restrictions and was disqualified from running by the PC leadership election committee.

Shannon Martin and Shelly Glover received extensions to March 14 and March 16, respectively.

Stefanson’s extension was until March 8. However, on Monday, the PCs said another extension was granted to on or before March 21 “due to the complexity of the leadership race and delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Leadership contestants must report contributions to Elections Manitoba.

Names of donors and any contributions more than $250 are posted online. No individual can make contributions totalling more than $3,000 in a leadership contest period to one or more leadership contestants. Tax receipts are not issued for contributions to a leadership contestant, according to the Election Financing Act.

Monday was the deadline for candidates to register to run in the Fort Whyte byelection.

The final list: Khan (PCs), Willard Reaves (Liberals), Trudy Schroeder (NDP), Nicolas Geddert (Green), and Patrick Allard (independent).

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca