Posted on 02/07/2004 6:32:47 PM PST by mhking
After a steady stream of mostly flattering headlines, Conservative leadership candidate Belinda Stronach received some unwelcome attention Friday in the form of a supermarket tabloid front page that blared: Hillary Screams Divorce Over BILL'S NEW BLOND.
The headline in the Globe weekly, a reference to Stronach's friendship with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, is accompanied by a full-page photo of the two walking together into a Toronto charity event last year.
The innuendo-filled article suggests Hillary Clinton, a New York senator and the wife of the former president, is upset that rumours of an amorous liaison between her husband and Stronach could scuttle her presidential ambitions. As a result, she has ordered him not to see Stronach, the paper reported.
The Globe says Clinton and Stronach went skiing in Colorado last month, "but when Hillary learned the longtime pals also planned to get together at a conference in Switzerland later that month to map 37-year-old Belinda's plans to lead Canada's Conservative party, she hit the roof and read her husband the 'bimbo riot act.'"
A Stronach spokesman said, "this matter is utterly ridiculous."
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Lead Canada's "Conservative" party where? Hmmm?
(No wonder they're out of power with so-called leaders like Belinda.)
She certainly doesn't sound like Bill's type politically (from her campaign website):
A 37-year old business leader, mother and proud second-generation Canadian, Belinda Stronach represents a new generation of leadership.Her values are reflected in her management style. Leading the executive management team of Magna International Inc. since being appointed CEO in February 2001 and President in January 2002, Stronach emphasized values of individual effort and initiative; individual recognition and reward; inclusiveness, consultation and collaboration; transparency and accountability; fairness; safety and security.
She fostered a culture where everyone had a stake in the outcome, allowing all employees to share in the companys results and success.
Stronachs leadership philosophy is decentralized, based on her belief that the best decisions are made by those most directly responsible, those closest to the action. She actively encouraged entrepreneurship, creativity and initiative among individual business units.
Under her leadership, Magna International, employing 72,000 people in 22 countries, had record sales of almost $20 billion. In three years its share value nearly doubled.
A conservative, Stronach supported the United Alternative in 1999 and 2000 and was actively involved in the creation of the new Conservative Party.
Her international businesses experience has led Stronach named one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum to become increasingly concerned about Canadas future prosperity and global competitiveness.
Her keen interest in helping Canada compete globally is reflected in her work as a member of the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness and Economic Progress, as a founding member of the Canadian Automotive Partnerships Council, and as the Director of the Yves Landry Technological Endowment Fund. In February 2003, Stronach joined the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Her passion for innovative public policy is symbolized by her involvement in the As Prime Minister Awards, the premier program of the Magna for Canada Scholarship Fund, where Canadas young leaders are invited to embrace change and share their ideas for a stronger Canada.
Stronach is a member of the Deans Council at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Deans Advisory Council at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. In 2003, Stronach was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University.
In 2001, the National Post named Stronach the most powerful businesswoman in Canada. In 2002 and again in 2003 Stronach was ranked number 2 by Fortune magazine in its list of the worlds most powerful women in international business. In 2002, she was also named one of Canadas Top 40 Under 40.
Stronach is a fiscal conservative with strong community values. Under her leadership, Magna International hosts an annual event that has raised $4 million to date for charities and community groups in York Region. She is also Honourary Chair of the Southlake Regional Health Centre fundraising campaign.
Stronach was born in Newmarket, Ontario, and was raised there and in nearby King Township. She resides in Aurora with her children, Frank and Nikki.
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