David Orchard & Stéphane Dion

[August1991]

Why is David Orchard endorsing Stéphane Dion and why is Dion accepting the endorsement so loudly and publicly? Is this mere ego-massaging?

"He will play a very important role in the campaign. We didn't discuss yet which role it will take, but I'm very pleased he's coming to the team," Mr. Dion said in an interview yesterday.

Mr. Dion said he made no deal for any specific role, nor did he agree to change his platform to include Mr. Orchard's concerns. He said the two have an affinity on environmental and sustainable-economy issues, subjects both have emphasized.

G & M

When asked about the Orchard/Mackay deal for leadership of the PCs, Dion replied:

"Who was the devil in that story? Who betrayed who?" Mr. Dion asked yesterday, saying that Mr. MacKay reneged.

"In my case, there is no deal, there is only a well-known personality, a Liberal, willing to support me and to give me his expertise, his views, his reputation -- and I'm pleased by that. It will help me to be stronger in order to convince my party and my country that I have the good approach."

Mr. Orchard said that he backed Mr. Dion for his experience, environmental positions and his defence of Canadian unity.

I suspect that Dion feels isolated in English Canada and is looking for any English friends he can find. Trudeau had a finer (and easier) touch when he did the same in 1967.

At the same time, I get the impression that Dion is a one-issue candidate. He wants to keep Quebec inside Canada. For the rest, he's willing to agree with anyone who will further that issue. To say what he said of David Orchard, Dion must be desperate.

In 1968, Trudeau had the likes of Mitchell Sharp supporting him. This Orchard is too sharp but no Sharp.

[Ricki Bobbi]

I'm not sure what to say about this move.

My first reaction is "What the f*ck is Dion thinking?"

Then again, Orchard has a group of devoted followers. Dion will definitely end up with some delegates out of this deal. Is it worth it though?

[August1991]

Curiously, the Conservative Party has decided to put up a page on its web site devoted to Orchard's endorsement of Dion:

Liberal leadership contender Stephane Dion proudly unveiled his new supporter David Orchard last week. Given that Orchard says that he and Dion “seen essentially eye-to-eye” (CP, August 17, 2006), Canadians are wondering how Dion feels about many of Orchard’s policy positions: ....

Link

[Ricki Bobbi]

Definitely seems like the Conservatives are getting into campaign mode. I haven't really paid much attention to their Web site since the HofC broke for the summer.

It seems to be a lot of attacks agains the opposition. Definitely a change from the stuff they were posting after the election.

Appears more and more likely we'll be going to the polls *again* in the Spring.

[Toro]

Orchard's a nutbar.

[jbg]

At the same time, I get the impression that Dion is a one-issue candidate. He wants to keep Quebec inside Canada. For the rest, he's willing to agree with anyone who will further that issue. To say what he said of David Orchard, Dion must be desperate.

Sounds like Chretien.

[geoffrey]

Wasn't Orchard thinking of an NDP run not so long ago?

[Riverwind]

Wasn't Orchard thinking of an NDP run not so long ago?

The Green Party is have a leadership - maybe someone should tell Orchard...

[geoffrey]

Wasn't Orchard thinking of an NDP run not so long ago?

The Green Party is have a leadership - maybe someone should tell Orchard...

It's a party that doesn't stand for anything in particular, other than self-serving egotism. It's perfect for Orchard!!

[Ricki Bobbi]

Wasn't Orchard thinking of an NDP run not so long ago?

The Green Party is have a leadership - maybe someone should tell Orchard...

It's a party that doesn't stand for anything in particular, other than self-serving egotism. It's perfect for Orchard!!

Does anybody know a political message board that isn't sooooooo pro-Orchard as MLW?!

[scribblet]

Orchard's a nutbar.

I was just going to say that, he never was a conservative though, Joe Clarke called him a tourist Tory party because of his left-leaning views. He just wants to use any political party as a vehicle for his own agenda.

Actually, I thought he was involved with Joe Hugelin in the new 'progressive conservative party', but maybe not.

[jbg]

Actually, I thought he was involved with Joe Hugelin in the new 'progressive conservative party', but maybe not.

Hueglin's vehicle was the "Progressive Canadian" party.

[fellowtraveller]

David Orchard has no future in the Conservative Party, so when your ego is as large as the Prairies, what's a homeboy to do? Hitch yourself to any wagon that will have you, that what you do.

He'll soon be the Bobby Curtola of Candian politics, a legend in his own mind.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Bobby Curtola, wow that's a name you don't hear very often.

Man, you gotta be from Edmonton.

David Orchard has no future in the Conservative Party, so when your ego is as large as the Prairies, what's a homeboy to do? Hitch yourself to any wagon that will have you, that what you do.

He'll soon be the Bobby Curtola of Candian politics, a legend in his own mind.

[Toro]

Orchard's a nutbar.

I was just going to say that, he never was a conservative though, Joe Clarke called him a tourist Tory party because of his left-leaning views. He just wants to use any political party as a vehicle for his own agenda.

Actually, I thought he was involved with Joe Hugelin in the new 'progressive conservative party', but maybe not.

I knew him well before that. I used to have run-ins with him before the 1988 election when I was at University in Saskatoon.

His behavior and those of his followers was bizarre at times.

[August1991]

There's some kind of blog/Internet scandal concerning Stephane Dion using unattributed ideas from David Suzuki about how to protect the environment:

Caught stealing chunks of a David Suzuki Foundation report to use in his "Clean Air Plan", Stephane Dion has attempted to insert a footnote into his plan linking back to that report.

Too bad it fails on two counts.

First, a footnote does not address the wholesale lifting of text from the report and using it in the plan.

Second, I have the screenshots to prove that the footnote is an attempt to clean up this mess on the sly.

Link

Jason Cherniak, a fanatical Liberal pro-Dion blogger has responded:

" ...to accuse a potential leader of plagiarism - an academic no less - on the basis of a couple similar sentences and statistics (which are always similar!) is beyond the pale in my books. All who have done it should recognize that this goes far beyond saying "I disagree" or "so-and-so screwed up".

Link

An academic! Like Ignatieff! (As the saying goes, you could fill Yankee Stadium with unpublished authors, or with academics who desire a political career.)

So, my reaction?

First, the Liberals really have to understand that the political world has changed. This isn't the 1990s and they are no longer in power. The spin thing works different now. (Heck, I'm inclined to think the Liberals work on 1970s time given that Chretien was a Trudeau wannabe.) They can't do stuff like this and expect to get away with it.

Second, no one really cares whether Dion lifted text from a Suzuki document. The bigger question is whether the CBC/Suzuki should design Canada's environmental policy.

I started this thread about Dion and David Orchard. Dion now seems to be so desperate for support in English-Canada that he's letting David Suzuki decide his environmental policy. Suzuki deciding environmental policy, Orchard deciding trade policy - it's a toss up. I'd say Suzuki by a nose. He at least knows something about biology.