Ten grand entrance fee for Conservative leadership race

March 22, 2011 The Public Eye :
The provincial Conservatives may not have any seats in the legislature. And, according to the latest Angus Reid Public Opinion survey, the party's support is sitting at four percent of decided voters. Nevertheless, the election of Christy Clark as Gordon Campbell's successor means the leadership of the Conservatives is a prize that could be worth winning. After all, 30 percent of respondents to an earlier Leger Marketing Inc. poll said they would "slightly" or "strongly" consider voting for the third party if Ms. Clark took over the governing Liberals. Indeed, the fee to enter the Conservative leadership race seems to have been priced accordingly, being set at $10,000. That money will be refunded to candidates who receive at least ten percent of the party's leadership votes. By comparison, the entrance fee for the New Democrat leadership race was $15,000.