We already knew the BC Liberals applied for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

But I’m surprised and disappointed by Andrew Wilkinson’s admission that his party is consciously foregoing revenue from donors at the same time he’s collecting this public money. #bcpoli

Wilkinson just said he hasn't been raising money from BC Liberal members because he thinks it would be in “bad taste.” That’s his choice to make - but he’s asking everyone else to pay for that choice through the wage subsidy.

Countless businesses and organizations have lost revenue through no fault of their own. They would love to get back to normal business, but they can’t. The wage subsidy exists to help them.

But that’s not the case with the BC Liberals, who have made a choice not to fundraise.

After curtailing our fundraising efforts at the height of the outbreak in March and April, the BC NDP successfully adapted to focus on online fundraisers, emails, and phone calls.

We actually raised slightly more in the second quarter (April-June) than in the first quarter (January-March). The Greens also raised more.

So we know the pandemic does not stop political fundraising.

But the BC Liberals raised less than half of what they did in the first quarter. That revenue decline was required to qualify for the wage subsidy.

It’s one thing if an organization is trying to fundraise but not succeeding. That’s a legitimate use of the program.

But Wilkinson has quite literally chosen to put his donors first and make British Columbians pay for it.