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OTTAWA — Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould announced Friday she managed to raise the $125,000 due to stay in the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as party leader and prime minister.
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In a statement posted to X, Gould says she met the steep fundraising threshold after a “record-breaking” day on Thursday.
“It’s just incredible to see how much progress we’ve made in three short weeks since I started my campaign,” she said in a statement. “I’m so inspired by all of you.”
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The Liberal party made it a rule that candidates running to replace Trudeau had to submit a $350,000 entrance fee, which was to be paid in instalments.
Friday marked when the first of two $125,000 payments were due. The second and final instalment must be provided by Feb. 17.
Heading into Friday, Gould had been criticizing the party for setting such a high entrance fee, saying the aggressive target ensured that only a handful of candidates would be able to stay in the contest.
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Since announcing her candidacy, she has been pitching herself as running a grassroots campaign, telling reporters at a recent event in Toronto that unlike other leadership hopefuls, her donors do not have “deep pockets.”
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney already paid his $125,000 deposit, as did former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, according to their respective campaigns.
A spokesman for former MP Frank Baylis, a Quebec businessman, confirmed in a a statement on Friday that his team sent the deposit that morning, which by the afternoon the party confirmed it had received.
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Reached by phone, former MP Ruby Dhalla also confirmed she submitted her deposit Friday morning.
Liberals will name their new leader on March 9.
Candidates have until Friday at 5 p.m. to submit their $125,000 deposit.
National Post
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