For immediate release,
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Ethics like charity begin at home!
David Orchard tells the Conservative party of Canada.

Much is made by the new entity, the Conservative Party, of the lack of ethics and trustworthiness

by David Orchard

Much is made by the new entity, the Conservative Party, of the lack of ethics and trustworthiness of the Liberal government. Not a day goes by without a Conservative Party representative, sometimes Peter MacKay himself, pronouncing on the dishonesty of the Liberals and demanding accountability. "Where is the money?" they call out, and "Give back the money," they demand.

David Orchard is the Progressive Conservative Party's leadership candidate who only last May delivered the leadership to Mr. MacKay, based on their signed agreement, which included no merger of the PC Party with the Canadian Alliance. (The ink was barely dry when Mr. MacKay breached the agreement by vigorously pursuing a merger with the CA, which ended in the extinguishment of the PC Party of Canada under his short leadership.)

Now there are more breaches, this time of the agreement all PC leadership candidates signed, which guaranteed that they would receive from the head office within 48 hours the funds that supporters have donated toward their campaigns. The new Conservative Party is holding for over 10 weeks now, without explanation and without due process, over $70,000 of David Orchard's funds, in direct violation of the signed contract.

After weeks of phone calls and letters requesting his funds, Mr. Orchard has been forced to launch a lawsuit against the Conservative Party, for the return of his money and its unethical and unlawful behaviour toward him. The withholding of legitimate campaign funds donated to him in good faith by hundreds of supporters causes no end of hardship, as campaign debts cannot be paid and credit cards gather high daily interest. David Orchard will ask the Conservative Party: "Where is my money?" and request that it be returned to him without delay.

Mr. Orchard will hold a press conference announcing the lawsuit and suggesting that the country may be witnessing a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Time: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 9:30 am.
Place: National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington, Ottawa

For details of the claim, see "The Plaintiff claims from the Defendant"

For more information, contact: Rose-Marie Larsson, Media coordinator for David Orchard, at (604)215-5580
e-mail: rlarsson@telus.net

For other legal documents see "The Legal Case Against the PC-CA Merger" on the home page or go to Legal Document Page

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