Prime Minister Paul Martin.(CP PHOTO/Tom Hanson)

Federal Liberals are so broke they can't afford cash incentives to persuade party faithful to attend their upcoming national convention in Ottawa. Liberals say the 2004 federal election emptied their coffers and they've failed to replenish them due to new fundraising rules that severely limit corporate donations.

So delegates, who in the past depended on subsidies from their riding association, are either backing out of attending the Liberal Party's March 3-6 Ottawa policy convention or are lobbying fellow Grits in their riding to help pay their way.

Only a handful of Canada's 308 ridings have been able to fill a full slate of 16 delegates.

Liberal Party spokesman Steven MacKinnon said all 308 ridings have held elections, and he expects at least 2,000 delegates will show up -- less than half the 4,928 allowed.

"It's highly unusual for all ridings to send full slates to a policy convention anyway," MacKinnon said.