Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party (UCP) collected a significant portion of its 2025 fundraising from businesses and organizations, according to newly released financial disclosures filed with Elections Alberta.
Records show the UCP raised about $9.3 million last year, a figure that includes money collected through its constituency associations. Of that amount, nearly $8.9 million was formally reported in the party’s 2025 contribution filings.
An analysis of the disclosures indicates that close to $7.2 million came from donors who contributed more than $250. Within this group, approximately $766,000 — or about 10.7 per cent — originated from corporate or organizational donors rather than individuals. Contributions below $250 are not publicly itemized under Alberta’s reporting rules.
By comparison, the Official Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) reported more than $6.3 million in donations for 2025. Roughly $4.8 million of that total came from contributions exceeding $250, with just over $114,000 — about 2.4 per cent — attributed to corporate and union donors.
Corporate and union contributions to Alberta political parties had been prohibited since 2015, after the NDP formed government and passed the Act to Renew Democracy in Alberta with support from multiple parties. That ban was reversed nearly a decade later, when Justice Minister Mickey Amery introduced Bill 54 during the spring 2025 legislative session.
Bill 54 reopened the door to donations from corporations, unions and other organizations, while setting a cap of $5,000 per contributor. The changes took effect midway through 2025 and applied to the third and fourth fiscal quarters tracked by Elections Alberta.
At the time of introducing the bill, Amery said the intent was to strengthen transparency around political financing, including money flowing through third-party advertisers. His press secretary, Heather Jenkins, reiterated that position this week, saying the government believes strict disclosure requirements will allow Albertans to clearly see where political funding originates.
The move drew sharp criticism from NDP legislators during legislative debate. Edmonton–North West MLA David Eggen argued the change reopened the door to undue influence in politics, a concern the party had cited when it originally banned such donations.
Despite opposing the policy shift, the NDP has also accepted corporate and union contributions under the new rules. Party executive director Heather Wilson said the NDP’s fundraising remains largely grassroots-driven, with an average donation of about $51 and a donor base that has grown by roughly 30 per cent over the past three years.
Wilson said the governing party’s fundraising advantage does not concern her, adding that the NDP believes it has sufficient resources to mount a competitive campaign in the next provincial election.
“It’s the government’s choice to change the rules,” she said. “Our responsibility is to use every legal tool available to present a strong alternative to voters.”
Meanwhile, the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta — which absorbed the former Alberta Party late last year — reported contributions of just over $101,200 in 2025. The party is led by Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie, who was expelled from the UCP in April after publicly criticizing the government’s handling of allegations related to contracting practices within Alberta Health Services.
