A summary of articles, comments, opinon on Belinda Stronach

Ga-ga over blonde‘ Conservative’ MP Belinda Stronach from the get go, the Canadian media were long on Belinda’s looks and short on her substance when she ran unsuccessfully for leadership of the Canadian Conservative Party.

Belinda-bedazzled in a style reminiscent of the way they once were over the charisma of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau back in the days of Trudeaumania, the media missed out on a Stronach story that would likely matter most to rank and file Canadian Conservatives: A Liberal opportunist with money was taking on the Conservative Party from the top.

On January 20, Belinda Stronach resigned as president and CEO of Magna International, aka, Daddy’s Company, and announced that she would be a candidate for the leadership of new Conservative Party of Canada. I only have three minor criticisms of her initial speech - one, she read it; two, she read it badly and three, what she read wasn’t worth reading. But other than that she did just fine. She even let people know where she stands on certain issues.

With the mainline media mesmerized by Conservative MP Belinda Stronach's recent defection to the Liberal Party of Canada, lost from the limelight was why the Liberals would put a rookie in charge of the government till.

In the power base of Liberal rule, the Human Resources Management Office (HRMO), which Stronach now oversees, is the government till.

Wilmington, N.C.-As a silver spoon politician, rookie Conservative Party MP Belinda Stronach sports togs from Holt Renfrews. But Stronach's signature garb of a wolf masquerading in sheep's clothing seems to have been lost on Canada's fledgling, merged-with-Alliance Conservative Party.

Today Stronach jumped ship, joining the minority-status ruling Liberals, casting off from the Conservatives to whom Newmarket-Aurora Riding voters elected her only one month short of Canada's June 28, 2004 federal election.

Across this vast nation, media colleagues everywhere are obsessing about overnight Tory Belinda Stronach’s blondeness. Supermarket tabloids tattle about her last month’s alleged skiing rendezvous with Hillary’s hubby, Bill.

But to me, Ms. Stronach, is a bizarre lady of intrigue.

Forget about her loyal ties to prominent Liberals, like daddy’s former corporate vice president of Magna International, Toronto-Danforth MP Dennis Mills, the man who followed last summer’s Rolling Stones SARS concert, by ratting out on Toronto Island Airport expansion.

On November 30 the government fell. As inevitable as Paul Martin’s trip to see the Governor General, was the fact that the media would soon begin reporting about how women in politics are nothing more than the poor victims of a white male dominated institution.

(sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda)

Belinda Stronach's crossing the floor to the Liberals comes as no surprise to me, as I have long held the view that ‘Crossing Belinda' was a Liberal time bomb in the Conservative Party. To call her an "opportunist" is to understate her commitment to herself. Let's just say that Belinda has taken advantage of an opportunity that could ultimately put her into the prime minister's office.

In Canada, the term "golddigger" has just undergone a sex change.

The proverbial gold digger image usually comes wrapped in stilettos and lipstick.

Peter MacKay, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, must be Canada’s goofiest gadfly gold digger. When the Tory politician’s love interests were last in headlines, it was last Spring when floor-crossing MP Belinda Stronach was dumping him.

By Paul Albers
Tuesday, May 24, 2005

I was amused by how many people expected me to join in the weeping and wailing over the defection of Belinda Stronach. I was so pleased with the news that I sent her a thank you note. I enjoy having time prove me right.

Those who openly questioned her abilities, qualification and commitment were written off as jealous or sexist dinosaurs. Most of the media was so intent on selling the myth that she was a sharp, capable and popular conservative that they overlooked nearly all evidence to the contrary.