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Say new rules needed for race financing, including their own

Campaign finance records for political leadership campaigns remain outside the reach of Elections Newfoundland and Labrador.

Liberal leadership candidates answer questions at the leadership convention in this 2013 file photo. Telelgram file photo

The Liberals are promising to amend the law and change financing for leadership runs, despite the fact that Liberals received big, anonymous donations and were the biggest spenders, when looking at the Liberal race of 2013 and the most recent Progressive Conservative race in 2014.

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As reported, candidates in the last Liberal contest said they operated under the rules as decided upon by the party.

That is why, for example, the public disclosure ultimately issued by candidate Paul Antle reads Company 1, Company 2 and Individual 1, Individual 2, as opposed to citing real names. Donors were not told up front their donations might be disclosed.

That lack of disclosure would be a no-no under the laws governing a general election, but is allowed in leadership races here.

Some candidates ran hefty expenditures. The ultimate winner, DwightBall, spent $312,733 on his campaign, MHA Cathy Bennett $411,000 and Antle $438,000. Smaller amounts in the Liberal leadership race were spent by Danny Dumaresque, at $32,850 and then there was MHA Jim Bennett.

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Liberals promising to change law for leaderships