The ongoing Alberta general election campaign has given a boost to parts of the province’s economy, with millions of dollars in spending expected by the parties, candidates and third parties.
Edmonton-based Bannerz Canada Inc. has had its printers running nearly non-stop, 24-hours-a-day since the writ dropped. They print lawn signs, banners, vehicle wraps and more for most of the major parties.
The company had seen business slow in recent months, according to owner Karandeep Grewal, but the election has meant a jump in sales, with the production of an estimated 30,000 lawn signs expected by the end of the campaign.
“It’s really good. If you see my guys, they’ve been really pumped and happy,” Grewal said. “It feels great to have all that extra work coming in.”
In the 2015 general election, the parties spent more than $7.5 million altogether, according to Elections Alberta. The Progressive Conservatives spent $4.3 million of that amount, followed by the NDP with $1.6 million and the Wildrose Party with $1.2 million.
Spending limits
Unlike the previous general election campaign, spending by political parties during the 28-day writ period is now capped at $2 million, courtesy of the Fair Elections Financing Act, introduced by the NDP in November 2016. Candidates are limited to spending $50,000.
Donations from unions and corporations have also since been banned, replaced by registered third-party interest groups. They can each spend up to $150,000 during the writ period.
Reported spending totals for the 2019 general election will be posted to the financial disclosures section of the Elections Alberta website.