The Conservative Party's fundraising wing is set to name former prime minister Stephen Harper as one of its directors, former senator Irving Gerstein said Friday.
Gerstein, the party's chief fundraiser, provided his final update to delegates at the Conservative convention in Vancouver as they kicked off the second day of meetings. Gerstein, who said he's been involved on the financial side of conservative politics for more than 50 years, is stepping down from the Conservative Fund.
"I say to you that as long as the Conservative Fund is in charge of the financial affairs of the party, we will see that the fund fulfills its obligation to operate in a prudent and fiscally responsible manner," Gerstein said. "In keeping with this commitment … at the next fund meeting in June, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper will be appointed as a director of the Conservative Fund Canada."
A spokesman for the Conservative Party did not respond to a question about who else administers the Conservative Fund.
The party has paid off its 2015 election loan and has cash in its bank account. Since 2003, the Conservative Party has paid off $8 million in legacy debt from its predecessors and distributed more than $21 million in revenue-sharing to its riding associations, Gerstein said. The party's first quarter fundraising results were also strong, with the Conservatives out-fundraising the Liberals and NDP.
But, while the numbers Gerstein provided seemed to paint a rosy picture, he also sounded a note of caution. The Conservatives built a $15-million war chest ahead of the 2015 election by banking the per-vote subsidy that Harper's government eliminated. Gerstein says he wants to see the party save $10 million in time for the 2019 election.
Gerstein also neglected to provide a current number for the party's bank account balance. A lone heckler tried to interrupt Gerstein to demand to see the party's books, but Gerstein carried on.
Harper resigned as Conservative Party leader on Oct. 19, and is expected to resign his seat in the House over the summer break. He appointed Gerstein to the Senate in 2009. Gerstein retired from the Senate in February.
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