two-headed hybrid

red tories

So I saw David Orchard speak at York yesterday. It was interesting, although I didn't learn very much, having studied the topic of NAFTA a couple years ago for a Social Science paper. It wasn't very well attended, there was like 10 or 15 of us, like most people got to ask 2 questions afterwards. One woman asked him what he thought about the NDP and why he wouldn't join it. He gave some bullshit reasons about the Saskatchewan NDP, like how they were the first province to balance their budget, but that they closed 54 hospitals to do so. He also said other stuff about how the leadership of a party can completely change a party around, like how Mulroney turned the conservatives around into a pro-free-trade party, while historically it had been against it.

Later on, I bought his book (!!) and got him to sign it (!!). Upon hearing my name, I was pleasantly surprised when he switched into rather fluid French. He told me he had been to Québec City 14 years ago for French immersion, and that he was going again this winter for the same reason. After that, I reminded him that Jack Layton got his PhD at York, his thesis being critical of FIRA (the Foreign Investment Review Agency, created by Trudeau), calling it a paper tiger, (i.e., that was my way of establishing Jack Layton's anti free trade (well really, anti free-Foreign Investment, but that's another discussion) credentials, not that I really needed to, and then I asked him what it was about the NDP that people like him and other Red Tories wouldn't join it. He told me something about the NDP being influenced by American or International unions, it wasn't really clear.

What was clear though is that his reasons were bullshit meant to mask the real reason, whatever it could be. American Unions? Are you kidding me? The conservatives get funding by multinational corporations!

I was asking this question before Orchard started the meeting by saying that he was a political orphan, "his" party having been destroyed (i.e., the progressive-conservatives).

So anyway, I started putting all the pieces together:
- His picture is not only on the back cover of his book, but also on the book's spine. This guy's in it for the publicity.
- If you have seen him on TV in the last one or two years, you'll have noticed that he dropped the mustache and glasses, getting rid of his dorky look. (Okay, maybe not...)
- This second immersion trip to Québec City... Who the hell takes a second French immersion session? Politicians that want to represent all Canadians, of course. Alexa McDonough, Stockwell Day, and many other federal and would-be federal leaders do this.
- His obstinance in not wanting to join the NDP, which is the mainstream party the closest to his political philosophy right now. David Orchard could join the NDP, but he would be seen there with suspicion, many of his followers, well, wouldn't follow, and most of all, he wouldn't have a chance in hell of becoming leader at this point.
- John Diefenbaker, probably the best Red Tory Prime Minister Canada has known, was born in the same town as Orchard, or close by.

So my theory, right now, is that Orchard either wants to become leader of Paul Hellyer's Canada Action Party, or he's preparing for another takeover attempt of the Conservative party. Either way, it looks like a dead end, so I don't think I'm on the money. But David Orchard is working on something, and it's not just his opposition to NAFTA. I just can't figure out what.

...

Heh. Looking at Orchard's website, he claims that the Conservative Party owes him $70,000. Not only did MacKay turn around and stab him in the back, but they keep on stabbing.