Conservative Party president John Walsh says that scrapping the per-vote subsidy will hurt his party's pocketbook, but it's "the right decision" for taxpayers.
Walsh noted that because his party received the most votes in the last election, it has the most to lose.
"What's lost in this debate is that we're going to have the biggest hole to fill when that subsidy is gone as we have the most members," Walsh told CTV's Question Period Sunday.
Walsh, who along with other Tory stalwarts was at the party national convention this weekend, echoed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's pre-election promise.
Taxpayers, he said, shouldn't be burdened with financial responsibility of funding the Conservative party or any party because "our members are happy to fund our party and they're delighted to do so."
The budget commitment to end the per-vote-subsidies comes two-and-a-half years after Harper advanced a similar proposal in 2008 -- a move which led to a revolt by all three opposition parties.
Backed by the Bloc Quebecois, the Liberals and NDP united to topple the then-minority Conservative government, but Harper asked then-Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean to prorogue Parliament.
Starting April 1 of next year, the $2-per-vote will be reduced by increments of 51 cents until it is eliminated by 2015-16. According to budget documents, this will generate an approximate annual savings of $30-million.
The announcement was made last week on Parliament Hill when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled the 2011 budget.
Despite the Conservatives' assertion that they have the most to lose from subsidy cuts, they also have the most to gain relative to other parties because their fundraising arrangement means the per-vote stipend forms a much smaller percentage of their overall financing.
