NDP says $9M raised in 3rd quarter a Canadian record for now

The New Democratic Party said Thursday it raised more than $9 million in the third quarter ending Wednesday, the most it has raised and more than the previous quarterly record for a political party set by the Conservatives in 2011.

The NDP said it tallied $9,011,321.85 in donations between July 1 and Sept. 30, surpassing the old quarterly record of $8,205,078.88 set by the Conservative party in the run-up to the 2011 federal election.

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The NDP said it raisedthemoney from more individual donors than any other party has ever achieved in a three-monthperiod, at 64,145.

Elections Canada says the previous record for individual donors was also held by the Conservative Party, which received donations from 59,519 individual Canadians in the last quarter of 2005, the last quarter before the January 2006 election that brought Stephen Harper to power.

It's not clear how long the record will stand; the Conservatives have yet to report their numbers for the quarter that ended Sept. 30. The Liberal Party told CBC that it just finished its most successful quarter ever, but has not yet compiled a final number.

The Conservative Party raised $7,368,976.43 from 45,532 individuals in the second quarter of 2015. The Liberal Party took in $4,033,444.96 from 32,789 people over the same period.

Both numbers would normally be expected to grow as the election draws nearer.

Numbers suggests energized base

The NDP is no doubt trumpeting the figures as proof it still has momentum in the current campaign. The New Democrats have slipped in recent polls, but the fundraising numbers suggest the party's base is energized and sees this election as a historic opportunity.

The party says the final numbers reported to Elections Canada will be slightly higher in terms of both dollars and donors, because cheques sent during the last days of the third quarter are still arriving by mail.

The party concedes it has lost both support and volunteers because of its stand against the Conservative government's efforts to ban the niqab from the Canadian citizenship ceremony.

But it says it has also received new volunteers who are concerned that the Harper government could win re-election over the issue.