Four days after declaring his intention to lead the Federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, David Orchard spoke at the University of Calgary. The organic farmer from Saskatchewan spoke at length on Sat., Jan. 25 about the importance of preserving Canadian sovereignty.
“We have seen 13,000 Canadian companies taken over, mostly by American companies,” he said. “It’s easy for these giants to do it.”
Orchard was also concerned about the Canadian dollar, a virtual removal of the border, American command of the Canadian military, and the ability of American companies to influence Canadian legislation through international agreements. Orchard, however, supports the Kyoto Protocol and expressed his environmentalist views.
“I want first and foremost to conserve our environment, to guarantee clean air and drinking water to all Canadians,” he said.
In 1993, Orchard authored The Fight for Canada: Four Centuries of Resistance to American Expan- sionism. Five years later, he finished second in the PC leadership race, losing to Joe Clark. He is also a founder of Citizens Concerned About Free Trade.
The PC party will choose a new leader at their national convention on May 29 in Toronto.