Editing Peter MacKay (section)

===2003 Progressive Conservative leadership race===
MacKay was largely seen as the assumed victor of the race from the outset of the leadership contest. Ultimately, his candidacy was helped by the absence of so-called "dream candidates" such as provincial Progressive Conservative Premiers [[Bernard Lord]], [[Mike Harris]] and [[Ralph Klein]] who did not run for the leadership.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}  MacKay formally launched his leadership campaign in his hometown of [[New Glasgow, Nova Scotia|New Glasgow]] in January 2003. From the onset of the campaign, MacKay insisted that his primary goal upon assuming the leadership would be the rebuilding the fractured conservative movement from within the PC tent. For much of the race, MacKay was the clear front-runner. Several opponents, including former PC Party Treasurer [[Jim Prentice]], [[social conservative]] candidate [[Craig Chandler]], and [[Red Tory]] Nova Scotia MP [[Scott Brison]], painted MacKay as a ''status quo'' or "establishment" candidate who could effectively question the Prime Minister.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

MacKay's campaign was largely based on his leadership skills and a national organization rather than on policies or new directions. MacKay is largely viewed by political analysts as a [[Red Tory]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thehouse/til-next-time-peter-mackay-not-running-in-the-next-election-1.3089252|title='Til next time? Peter MacKay not running in the next election|work=CBC Radio|date=May 30, 2015|access-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref> He voted in favour of [[same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]] in 2006.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mps-defeat-bid-to-reopen-same-sex-marriage-debate-1.599856|title=MPs defeat bid to reopen same-sex marriage debate|work=CBC News|date=December 7, 2006|access-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref>

====Leadership convention====
MacKay entered the first ballot of the [[2003 Progressive Conservative leadership election|PC leadership convention]] held on May 31, 2003 with roughly 41% of the delegates supporting him.  However, on the second ballot, MacKay's support dropped to 39%. On the third ballot, MacKay's support reached 45% but many of his supporters were convinced that he had hit his popular peak. Some analysts noted that the eliminated third-place challenger [[David Orchard]] drew his 25% bulk of delegate supporters largely from the Western prairie provinces. Orchard was prepared to speak with either MacKay or Prentice to determine if a deal could be reached over some of the issues that he raised during the leadership campaign.  As the results of the third ballot were called, MacKay's campaign manager, PC Senator [[Noël Kinsella]], hastily arranged a backroom meeting between MacKay, Orchard, and their campaign advisors. During the meeting, MacKay reached a deal with his rival, and Orchard emerged from the room urging his delegates to support MacKay. Press officials immediately demanded to know what had inspired Orchard's surprise move. Orchard repeatedly referred to a "gentleman's agreement" made between himself and MacKay that had led to his qualified support.

MacKay won the final ballot with nearly 65% of the delegates supporting him. For the next few weeks, the specific details of the "Orchard deal" remained vague:  a secret between MacKay, Orchard, and their advisors.<ref>[http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/article.jsp?content=20030616_60669_60669] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050505224625/http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/article.jsp?content=20030616_60669_60669|date=May 5, 2005}}</ref> However, it was eventually revealed that the "Orchard deal" promised a review of the PC Party's policies on the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]], no merger or joint candidates with the [[Canadian Alliance]], and a promise to redouble efforts to rebuild the national status of the Progressive Conservative Party.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} The agreement also included re-examining the PC Party's policies on government subsidies for national railways and preserving the environment. The deal also requested that MacKay "clean up" the party's head office and specifically requested that the party's National Director be fired. Further evidence later revealed [[Scott Brison]]'s cellphone number written in the margins of the note for some unexplained reason. In an attempt to heal internal rifts after the convention, MacKay edited out the number. After Brison defected to the Liberal party, however, MacKay revealed the original copy.  The agreement prompted much outrage and controversy amongst [[Unite the Right (Canada)|United Alternative]] supporters and was ribaldly referred to by CA MP [[Jason Kenney]] as "a deal with the Devil".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winnipeg-sun-deal-with-the-devil-w/150124933/ |title='Deal with the devil' was more like business as usual |first=Ben |last=Mulroney |newspaper=[[Winnipeg Sun]] |page=55 |date=2003-06-08 |access-date=2024-06-26 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

At first, MacKay seemed to be willing to adhere to the deal. In June, several Clark-appointed personnel were let go from the party's main office and MacKay appointed new experienced staff whose loyalties were more closely linked to himself and former Prime Minister and PC Party leader [[Brian Mulroney]]. MacKay also appointed a couple of low level staff workers who had been supportive of David Orchard's leadership bid.  In July, MacKay struck up a "Blue Ribbon PC Policy Review Panel", made up of conservative MPs, Senators, and Orchard himself, that was to be chaired by MP [[Bill Casey]], in order to reexamine the party's policies on NAFTA.  The committee was scheduled to hold talks across the country and make a report to the leader by January 2004.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

By mid-July, political opponents and fellow Tories began attacking MacKay over the "Orchard deal." MacKay's conservative rival [[Stephen Harper]] suggested that the PC Party had hit rock-bottom when its policies and directions would be beholden to a "prairie socialist."{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}  The secretive nature of the deal also led to concerns from within the party's headquarters and constituency associations. David Orchard was seen by many within the party as an "outsider" who was attempting to turn the Progressive Conservative Party into the "Prairie Co-operative Party". Some felt that MacKay's credibility and leadership were undermined by the deal and that electoral expectations were low for the upcoming election that was expected to occur in less than a year's time. [[Rex Murphy]] noted in a ''[[The Globe and Mail|Globe and Mail]]'' column that MacKay's leadership arrived "stillborn" and that, perhaps for the first time in recent memory, a party immediately emerged from a leadership convention grievously weakened and even less united than when it entered the convention.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}