The Liberal Party has dominated Canada’s federal political fundraising circuit since 2019, organizing more than twice as many events as the Conservatives, although Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has emerged as the leading individual fundraiser, according to an analysis by The Hill Times.
An examination of 658 registered fundraising events reported to Elections Canada between 2019 and 2026 found that federal political parties generated a combined estimated maximum fundraising value of $61.7 million from 48,006 listed attendees. The Liberals accounted for 430 events, representing a potential $40.4 million, while the Conservatives organized 202 fundraisers with an estimated maximum value of $20.7 million.
Despite hosting fewer events, the Conservatives charged higher ticket prices, averaging $1,559 compared with $981 for Liberal fundraisers. Conservative events also recorded a higher estimated maximum return per gathering, at approximately $102,636, compared with $93,960 for the Liberals.
Poilievre has become the most prominent figure in federal political fundraising since assuming the Conservative leadership in September 2022. Between November 2022 and October 2026, he was listed as a prominent attendee at 119 fundraising events, attracting 9,877 attendees and representing a potential value of approximately $16.96 million.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau ranked second, appearing at 88 events with an estimated maximum value of $16.49 million. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has attended 21 registered fundraising events since the beginning of 2025, representing an estimated $3 million. During his successful Liberal leadership campaign in early 2025, Carney also participated in eight fundraising events that attracted 733 attendees.
The analysis found that Ontario and Quebec hosted the majority of federal political fundraisers, with Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver among the most popular locations. Liberal riding associations in Brampton Centre, Ontario, and Ahuntsic–Cartierville, Quebec, were particularly active in organizing fundraising activities.
In 2026, the Liberals have already organized 65 fundraising events, exceeding their total for the entire 2025 election year by 12. These gatherings attracted 5,105 attendees and represented a maximum estimated value exceeding $5 million. However, average attendance declined to approximately 77 people per event, while the average maximum ticket price fell to $758.
The findings also raise questions about transparency in political fundraising following changes to federal election legislation. Bill C-25, which received royal assent on June 18, 2026, eliminated the requirement for political parties to publicly announce fundraising events five days in advance. Elections Canada also began withholding venue addresses and postal codes from publicly available fundraising reports.
These changes reverse transparency measures introduced following the 2016 cash-for-access controversy involving private fundraising events attended by Trudeau and senior cabinet ministers.
Political science professor Alex Marland of Acadia University warned that smaller, exclusive fundraising gatherings could create greater concerns about privileged access to political leaders and cabinet ministers than larger events with expensive tickets.
The analysis emphasizes that the reported fundraising values are estimates rather than confirmed revenues. They are calculated using attendance figures and maximum listed ticket prices, without accounting for actual payments or event expenses.
The findings highlight contrasting fundraising strategies between Canada’s two largest federal parties, with the Liberals relying on a greater number of events and the Conservatives generating higher potential returns per gathering, as concerns persist over transparency and political access.
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