Angry in the Great White North

Today, it was suggested that David Orchard, whose nomination efforts were rendered void by Joan Beatty's appointment as the Liberal Party candidate for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River in Saskatchewan, continues to agitate for the chance to run at the urgings of the Merchant clan:

The second problem is Orchard, who is less of a firecracker in politics than he is an improvised explosive device.

Having failed to impose his anti-free-trade view of the world by working outside the political system, Orchard and his followers have turned their attention to imposing their views on the world from within the political system. What should be as evident to Dion and the Liberals, as it was to the old Progressive Conservatives when Orchard sought that party's leadership, is that imposing his views is really Orchard's only interest.

That said, what normally would happen is that Orchard's vested interests would be isolated by the party and exposed as such. Instead, the candidacy of this one-time Tory and anti-free trade advocate (who also happened to be one of Dion's key leadership organizers) has the support of some pretty credible Liberal big guns like Doug Richardson (a key Michael Ignatieff organizer in Saskatchewan). Some Liberals say

Orchard may even have the support of the Merchant clan, which also supported Ignatieff.

So is Michael Ignatieff causing mischief, egging David Orchard on?  I don't think so.  I think Michael Ignatieff isn't really relevant, but that this is about the Merchant family, and in particular, Tony Merchant, or his Liberal Party supporters.

Tony Merchant is a major figure in Saskatchewan.  A very successful and somewhat controversial lawyer, Tony Merchant fought Ralph Goodale for the nomination of Regina Wascana, a battle that apparently was quite bitter:

Then there was the infamous and dramatic 1993 battle for the Regina Wascana federal nomination between Ralph Goodale and Tony Merchant -- arguably the nastiest, most vicious political fight in recent times, with both sides accusing the other of dirty tactics including bringing in busloads of teenage delegates with the lure of pizza and beer.

Ralph Goodale is from the Paul Martin / Bob Rae / Power Corp side of the Liberal Party, the entrenched power players.  Tony Merchant is aligned with the Jean Chretien / Michael Ignatieff faction, a more populist and iconoclastic segment of the party.

Already you know that there will problems -- the Jean Chretien versus Paul Martin fight has never been entirely put to rest.

But what really matters is the personal animosity that is in play here.

If Ralph Goodale perceived David Orchard to be a potential liability (not an unreasonable conclusion) and used his position in the Liberal Party to have Stephane Dion appoint Joan Beatty as the nominee, what better opportunity could Tony Merchant or his people have to hurt Goodale?

Tony Merchant or his key supporters could approach David Orchard and describe how Ralph Goodale comes from the elitist side of the party, something that would grate on the populist Orchard.  Having shown David Orchard how the entrenched elite had spoiled a chance for the people to make their voices heard, it would take little effort to outline a strategy that would keep David Orchard in the news, and keep his candidacy alive.

Or perhaps David Orchard came upon this strategy on his own, then approached Tony Merchant for help, help Merchant or his people would be only too glad to provide if it meant hurting Ralph Goodale.

That's because, of course, the real target is not Joan Beatty, but Ralph Goodale.  Even now, Ralph Goodale is suffering, perhaps more than Stephane Dion.  Observers from outside of the Liberal Party are laying much of the blame for the chaos in this riding at his feet.  No doubt, Ralph Goodale's reputation in the party is taking hits, as Liberals shake their head in frustration that this riding might be lost because of Goodale's clumsiness, and because of Goodale's inability to contain and control David Orchard.

Or at least that's what Tony Merchant and others would want these Liberals to think.

It's an interesting theory, and it makes the riding fight being played out right now even more interesting.

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