Powerful Conservative party fund looking to raise $6M from tax rebate program

OTTAWA — The Conservatives say they plan to keep half of the money their candidates receive in tax rebates for election expenses in order to leverage $6 million in taxpayer dollars for party coffers.

Sen. Irving Gerstein, chair of the Conservative fund, announced the new “candidate rebate-sharing program” at the party’s policy convention in Halifax.

The fund will retain 50 per cent of the rebate that candidates can receive on 60 per cent of their election expenses, provided they earn at least 10 per cent of the vote in their ridings.

Under the current system, any money received through the rebate program stays with individual riding associations.