I did not see this coming.
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'DEAL WITH THE DEVIL'
Tory winner MacKay makes surprise pact with free trade foe
By KATHLEEN HARRIS and MARIA MCCLINTOCK, SUN OTTAWA BUREAU
TORONTO -- In what's being dubbed a "deal with the devil," Nova Scotia MP Peter MacKay shocked the Tory leadership convention last night by cutting a last-minute deal to review NAFTA in exchange for the support of a left-leaning party misfit.
After David Orchard lost on the third ballot and crossed the floor to support the front-runner, MacKay dropped a bomb by revealing a Progressive Conservative panel would review the "effects" of free trade - and that Orchard would be part of the process.
"David has spoken very passionately about the importance of determining the effects, both positive and negative, and I agree that it is time that we do this," MacKay said, adding the agreement was scheduled to be reviewed after 10 years.
Orchard was labelled a "tourist" in the party in 1998 by Joe Clark for his outspoken crusades against free trade, a pillar in the Conservative party platform.
But last night MacKay said the moniker was no longer valid.
MacKay, 37, won the leadership race in a nailbiting race that went to four ballots.
Last night Orchard said Clark was not instrumental in inking the "understanding" on the issues of free trade, the environment and agriculture.
"We have a blue-ribbon commission to review the impact of the free trade agreement, so we're both happy and we're both going on to rebuild the Conservative Party of Canada to defeat the Liberals and preserve our country," he said.
Calling the agreement an "unholy alliance" and a "deal with the devil," Goldy Hyder, a party strategist, said the union will turn away key provincial Conservatives such as Mike Harris and Ralph Klein, who have refused to join the federal party largely because of Orchard.
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney outlined the huge economic benefits of free trade in a keynote address to the convention Friday. Party insiders say the arrangement threatens the unity of the party, with some members willing to walk due to the alliance with the left-leaning crowd.
Sources told Sun Media that Alliance Leader Stephen Harper had already received several e-mails from disillusioned MacKay and Jim Prentice supporters who are interested in working with his party.
But after the marathon session of coaxing, T-shirt trading and crossing the floor by potential supporters, MacKay promised the raucous partisan crowd the party would emerge united and strong.
"I have one message for Paul Martin and Jean Chretien. The free ride is over," he said in a formal acceptance speech.
Prentice, the Calgary lawyer and businessman who finished in second place, told the crowd the final result wasn't the one he'd hoped for.
"This isn't exactly how I thought it would work out, but I still love Toronto," he said.
He credited fellow candidate Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison, as having courage, being a visionary and having a wonderful sense of humour.
Brison, who had labelled MacKay the "status quo" candidate, dropped off the second ballot and threw his support behind Prentice.
The pair was closely aligned through the campaign and rumoured to be sewing up an anybody-but-MacKay block.
Brison suffered an heavy emotional blow, losing third spot to Prentice by a razor-thin margin of just three votes. But he insisted he wouldn't jump on a bandwagon at a critical time for the party.
"I'm a loyal Nova Scotian and I'm a loyal federal Progressive Conservative. I'm doing what's in the best interests of the party," he said.
Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Strahl said he was in "shock" that MacKay joined forces with Orchard, who ran on a "no truck or trade" platform against the Canadian Alliance.
Tory Senator Lowell Murray supported Brison for two ballots but went to MacKay in the end, because he had parliamentary experience.
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MacKay and... ORCHARD?!? Wow.
Looks like the PCs are taking the centre-left path this time around. I honestly expected them to go for someone a little more Alliance-friendly (Prentice), but I guess I overestimated any possible ongoing conservative comeback.
MacKay's got charisma, but I'm afraid that these adventures in free trade will frighten more people than it will please. But maybe not...
http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonNews/es.es-06-01-0007.html
*********************************
'DEAL WITH THE DEVIL'
Tory winner MacKay makes surprise pact with free trade foe
By KATHLEEN HARRIS and MARIA MCCLINTOCK, SUN OTTAWA BUREAU
TORONTO -- In what's being dubbed a "deal with the devil," Nova Scotia MP Peter MacKay shocked the Tory leadership convention last night by cutting a last-minute deal to review NAFTA in exchange for the support of a left-leaning party misfit.
After David Orchard lost on the third ballot and crossed the floor to support the front-runner, MacKay dropped a bomb by revealing a Progressive Conservative panel would review the "effects" of free trade - and that Orchard would be part of the process.
"David has spoken very passionately about the importance of determining the effects, both positive and negative, and I agree that it is time that we do this," MacKay said, adding the agreement was scheduled to be reviewed after 10 years.
Orchard was labelled a "tourist" in the party in 1998 by Joe Clark for his outspoken crusades against free trade, a pillar in the Conservative party platform.
But last night MacKay said the moniker was no longer valid.
MacKay, 37, won the leadership race in a nailbiting race that went to four ballots.
Last night Orchard said Clark was not instrumental in inking the "understanding" on the issues of free trade, the environment and agriculture.
"We have a blue-ribbon commission to review the impact of the free trade agreement, so we're both happy and we're both going on to rebuild the Conservative Party of Canada to defeat the Liberals and preserve our country," he said.
Calling the agreement an "unholy alliance" and a "deal with the devil," Goldy Hyder, a party strategist, said the union will turn away key provincial Conservatives such as Mike Harris and Ralph Klein, who have refused to join the federal party largely because of Orchard.
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney outlined the huge economic benefits of free trade in a keynote address to the convention Friday. Party insiders say the arrangement threatens the unity of the party, with some members willing to walk due to the alliance with the left-leaning crowd.
Sources told Sun Media that Alliance Leader Stephen Harper had already received several e-mails from disillusioned MacKay and Jim Prentice supporters who are interested in working with his party.
But after the marathon session of coaxing, T-shirt trading and crossing the floor by potential supporters, MacKay promised the raucous partisan crowd the party would emerge united and strong.
"I have one message for Paul Martin and Jean Chretien. The free ride is over," he said in a formal acceptance speech.
Prentice, the Calgary lawyer and businessman who finished in second place, told the crowd the final result wasn't the one he'd hoped for.
"This isn't exactly how I thought it would work out, but I still love Toronto," he said.
He credited fellow candidate Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison, as having courage, being a visionary and having a wonderful sense of humour.
Brison, who had labelled MacKay the "status quo" candidate, dropped off the second ballot and threw his support behind Prentice.
The pair was closely aligned through the campaign and rumoured to be sewing up an anybody-but-MacKay block.
Brison suffered an heavy emotional blow, losing third spot to Prentice by a razor-thin margin of just three votes. But he insisted he wouldn't jump on a bandwagon at a critical time for the party.
"I'm a loyal Nova Scotian and I'm a loyal federal Progressive Conservative. I'm doing what's in the best interests of the party," he said.
Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Strahl said he was in "shock" that MacKay joined forces with Orchard, who ran on a "no truck or trade" platform against the Canadian Alliance.
Tory Senator Lowell Murray supported Brison for two ballots but went to MacKay in the end, because he had parliamentary experience.
***************************
MacKay and... ORCHARD?!? Wow.
Looks like the PCs are taking the centre-left path this time around. I honestly expected them to go for someone a little more Alliance-friendly (Prentice), but I guess I overestimated any possible ongoing conservative comeback.
MacKay's got charisma, but I'm afraid that these adventures in free trade will frighten more people than it will please. But maybe not...
http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonNews/es.es-06-01-0007.html
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