Quebec’s Coalition party riding high in polls but last in political donations
MONTREAL — The party jostling for the lead in Quebec opinion polls and that surprisingly stole a riding in a recent byelection is finishing the year in last place among major parties in political donations.
Coalition Avenir Quebec, a six-year-old party that is looking to unseat the governing Liberals, is heading into the 2018 election year with fewer donations than the far-left Quebec solidaire, which has three of the 125 seats in the national assembly.
The Coalition currently holds 21 seats and is broadening its base, which is currently located outside the Montreal area. Consistent polling numbers indicate Quebecers are increasingly looking at the party to park their anti-Liberal vote.
Last October, it grabbed more than 51 per cent of the vote to win a Quebec City riding held by the Liberals. Since then it has been creeping up in the polls but with only $226,706 collected in donations so far in 2017, the Coalition has received significantly less cash than its three rivals.