Posted on 11/29/2005 9:20:59 PM PST by Gondring
What Belinda did. Oh my.
Some describe it as perfidy most heinous, that waltz across the floor of the Commons last May by Belinda Stronach from Conservative to Liberal ranks. It's certainly the view of Stephen Somerville, president of the Newmarket-Aurora Conservative riding association, once a supporter of the erstwhile Tory and now her staunchest foe in the upcoming campaign.
Bringing Belinda down has become the battle cry.
"This election will be a referendum on what Belinda did. People are coming from all parts of Canada to work on our campaign," said Somerville, of the Conservative push to oust Paul Martin's human resources minister.
"What she did was wrong on so many levels. She betrayed her party, her leader, the values she ascribed to, Conservative voters and all the campaign volunteers, who were stunned. Stunned."
They say this is going to be a dirty federal campaign?
Well, welcome to Newmarket-Aurora, where dirty takes on whole new shades of revenge, animosity, betrayal and ire. It's deep and it's personal.
"No, no, it's nothing personal," insisted Somerville, adding that he, too, felt betrayed.
Whether the good folk of Newmarket-Aurora see it his way is, of course, the central issue in this largely urban, largely middle-class riding north of Toronto. Job-wise, it's split between being a GTA bedroom community and the base for auto parts giant, Magna International Inc., owned by her father, Frank Stronach.
In 2003, Stronach, 39, won by 800 votes, squeaking past her Liberal rival in her first campaign.
This time, as a Liberal, she faces Conservative Lois Brown, 50, whom she defeated for the nomination in 2003 — adding another layer of ill will to this race.
There are pluses for Belinda Stronach, Liberal. The riding has traditionally voted Liberal. Moreover, she's travelling light this time, according to David Peterson, the former Ontario premier who brokered her deal to cross the floor.
"She had to drag Harper along behind her last time and that was a big disadvantage in Ontario," he said, singing her praises. "She has grown faster than anyone you have ever met in your whole life. She has been through trial by ordeal. And yet, she has never really stepped in it and that is brilliant in itself — just not being dead."
She's most definitely not dead. She's a Canadian oxymoron: a glamorous politician.
She's going places in politics (if she wins), she's famous and she counts Bill Clinton among her friends. And, okay, she's rich, blonde, beautiful and wears Manolo Blahniks.
Still, they say such mean things about her.
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Stronach hasn't said much about her breakup with deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay |
Asked if he debated Stronach in the last campaign, he laughed loudly. "Yes, well, I thought I did extremely well," he said.
"I want to be diplomatic here. Ah, I don't think her strength lies in debating."
Last time though, Stronach was a rookie.
"For all her billions, she has a struggle to keep up with Lois," said Toronto radio announcer Bob Pritchard, who ran against Brown for the Conservative nomination in June. "She has huge name recognition because of what Daddy does."
But isn't it possible the decision to cross the floor didn't come easily? Or that the lady might have principles of her own?
"I haven't changed my values or my principles. I was one of the architects of the merger," Stronach said yesterday, referring to the 2003 merger between the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties to form the Conservative Party of Canada.
She was elected in Newmarket-Aurora because "they wanted me to be the moderate voice of the party but, in substance, that didn't exist."
Instead, she faced intransigence from Harper. "I didn't have any input. He didn't want my input," she said. "He didn't want to listen to me.
"I chose politics because I wanted to serve ... I didn't want to be window dressing."
She hasn't said much about her break-up with deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay, literally on the eve of her announcement last May.
Others close to her, however, say the split was inevitable because MacKay was much more partisan and couldn't deal with her crossing the floor.
"I paid a big personal price in terms of that relationship," she said yesterday. "But relationships end all the time. It's unfortunate but it's part of life."
Lately, MacKay has been linked to the daughter of another dynasty — Sophie Desmarais, whose father is Paul Desmarais from Power Corp.
Said Stronach: "I wish him happiness and I wish him peace."
For her, there will be no peace anytime soon. She crossed the floor over problems with Harper, her sense last May that voters didn't want an election and her concerns over national unity, with the Bloc Québécois set to help the Tories defeat the government on the budget vote.
"It was a major, major decision for me," she said. "Did I follow my heart and do the right thing? Yes."
On that — and here's the only issue on which all parties concur in Newmarket-Aurora — the voters will decide.
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| PETER POWER/TORONTO STAR |
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| Belinda Stronach approaches the House of Commons prior to the vote of non-confidence in Ottawa Monday night that brought down the Liberal government. |
An honourable woman would have stepped down and not just switch sides, IMHO. But now that there's a chance to take her down, it sure would be nice to get this FoB.
Ummmmm....looks like some Canadians actually get it.
I bet that's what Slick is thinking, eh?
Clinton has bigger breasts.
ping
How true.
His gigantic man-boobies vs. her mosquito bites.
People are coming from all parts of Canada to work on our campaign,
Good! I had heard that would happen.
In the last two elections, I worked in my riding. Now that my riding is a safe Conservative seat, I'll be working on other ridings in the city.
Vacuous Bimbo Bump
She doesn't seem to have much self-awareness, does she?
Job-wise???
I can't believe a "journalist" would use such a term.
A "staff reporter"
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