Bill Cross talks to CBC News about “How the rules could help shape who becomes the next Conservative leader.”
The leadership rules for the current race have kept the $300,000 buy-in but lowered the required signatures from a total of 3,000 down to 500. The fee is required in instalments and tied to access to party membership lists, while all the money must be shipped off to the party by end-of-day on April 29.
“These rules do keep people out,” said Bill Cross, a professor of political science at Carleton University.
Not only is raising that kind of money difficult, it’s also just to pay the party, Cross said — more money is needed to actually get your campaign off the ground.