NWT fall election expenses released
Defeated cabinet minister Ramsay had largest amount at $22,787
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, May 6, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
One thing the Elections NWT 2015 election expenses report shows is that candidates can't spend their way onto the floor of the legislative assembly.
Bob McLeod: Premier spent $17,570 including $6,000 in donations from company's sharing the same address. The NWT chief electoral officer says $6,000 donated to his campaign came from four different companies and was within rules.- |
The report, released Monday, shows how much was contributed to each candidate's campaign and what the money was spent on. Expenses included thing like signs, printing and office expenses. The maximum amount any candidate can spend on the election is $30,000.
The biggest spender of the election didn't win his riding. Former cabinet minister David Ramsay's election expenses totalled $22,787, including a $1,500 donation from Northland Utilities. Ramsay received almost $21,000 in total donations, but he was defeated by now-Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart whose expenses totalled $12,446.
In Yellowknife South, Premier Bob McLeod's election expenses totaled $17,570. That included $6,000 donated by four different companies that all have the same address of 226 Niven Drive. Those companies are listed as: Northern Gateway Consulting, Northwest Investments as well as numbered companies 506907 NWT Ltd. and 506914 NWT Ltd. Each of those companies donated $1,500. Two of the companies have the same director - Liang Chen - according to the territorial government's corporate registries.
NWT Chief Electoral Officer Nicole Latour said the contributions from the same address were investigated.
"Those are all deemed legitimate - they all conform to the law. It's a singular address and there are four different entities that operate out of there," Latour said. "It's actually the companies that made the donations, not the individual. A flag went up for the finance officer ... it was disclosed in accordance with the law. I don't have any concerns. It was looked into."
Yellowknifer reached out to McLeod for comment but didn't hear back by press time.
McLeod's expenses were more than triple the $3,376 defeated challenger Nigit'stil Norbert reported. Third contender for Yellowknife South Sam Roland's election expenses were $563. The son of former premier Floyd Roland reported no contributions. He spent $422 on signs and $14 with Canada Post.
In Range Lake, cabinet minister Caroline Cochrane outspent defeated incumbent Daryl Dolynny $17,265 to $16,516. Cochrane received $10,135 in contributions while Dolynny had $14,749 donated to his campaign.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green's expenses totaled $21,133. Defeated incumbent Robert Hawkins' expenses were $19,475. Both candidates spent $1,500 of their own money on their campaigns.
Green had the largest number of contributors to her campaign of all the Yellowknife candidates - about 70 individuals, businesses and organizations donated, compared to only 18 for Hawkins.
In Frame Lake, winning candidate Kevin O'Reilly's expenses totalled $17,862. Jan Fullerton's totaled $13,762, including $8,089 of her own money. David Wasylciw's expenses totaled $8,781.
Dan Wong was the biggest spender in the Yellowknife North riding with $21,852 in expenses, including $1,500 of his own money.
The winner of the riding - Cory Vanthuyne - reported $19,986 in expenses. Of all the candidates in Yellowknife, Vanthuyne spent the largest amount of his own money - $11,004. Edwin Castillo reported $10,767 in expenses, including $1,500 of his own money. Ben Nind's total was $5,209 while Sean Erasmus' form shows no expenses.
In the Great Slave riding, Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy's election expenses totaled $9,153 - well above challenger Chris Clarke who reported $1,929.
