David Orchard is a Canadian political figure and a former Member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Orchard was born on June 28, 1950 in Borden, Saskatchewan. He is a 4th generation Organic Grain farmer, also a the author of the novel The Fight for Canada: Four Centuries of resistance to American Expansionism and co-founder of "CCAFT" or Citizens Concerned About Free Trade, and anti-free trade group, in 1985.
Orchard was educated in Borden and then went on to study Arts and Science then law at the University of Saskatchewan in nearby Saskatoon. He later studied French at Quebec City's Laval University.
Orchard is a "Red" or moderate Tory and claims to be ideologically inspired by his political idols former Prime Ministers John Diefenbaker, Robert Borden and John A. MacDonald. He is quite passionately opposed to Canadian economic integration with the United States, including free trade which he says impedes Canada's economic and cultural sovereignty. He is also a devoted monarchist. He also supported the crusade against the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords calling them "The mortal weakening of the central government."
Orchard has many critics, both within the Conservative party and elsewhere. He has been accused of being an opportunist socialist who is trying to hijack the weak PC Party and steer it in a more radical direction. Orchard describes his own views as being in the "historical mainstream" and "centrist" of the Tory party and would appeal to moderate Canadians. Despiter holding many leftist economic views, Orchard holds many socially-conservative positions.
He has never been an elected member of the Canadian House of Commons, or any other political office, but he did run in the federal riding of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in the 2000 election. He came in a distant third. This has led to some questioning of his political credentials. He hasn't ruled out running in the 2004 federal election.
Orchard ran two times for the leadership of the PC once in 1998 and in 2003. In 1998 he did poorly, but attracted a very different group of supporters to the Tory party. In 2003 he came in third behind Calgary Lawyer Jim Prentice and MP Peter MacKay. Orchard helped Peter MacKay win the leadership with a deal. The deal promised a review of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, no joint candidates with the Canadian Alliance and to rebuild the Progressive Conservative Party. This agreement prompted much outrage and controversy. It was soon abandoned, and in the fall of 2003 Peter MacKay agreed to merge the PC with the Alliance party.
Orchard is working to kill the merger with the Canadian Alliance and prevent Canada's founding party from being merged. Some other notable Tories such as former Prime Minister and last PC Leader Joe Clark, side with Orchard on the merger issue. Orchard has called for Mr. MacKay's resignation.
In a last-ditch attempt to stop the merger, Orchard went to court, seeking an injunction against the merger vote. The case was thrown out of court, and the merger was ratified successfully both both the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. The two parties plan to merge as the Conservative Party of Canada. Orchard has stated he will not be joining or working with the new Conservative party of Canada. That has some spectulating which Canadian Policial Party he will be supporting now.
