No chance in hell, too many Canadians can't wipe there own asses without a government grant, 33% in the polls is the best we can look forward to for the

No chance in hell, too many Canadians can't wipe there own asses without a government grant, 33% in the polls is the best we can look forward to for the Conservatives.

(sorry about that)

The only problem Ms. Stronach will face is the knock that she is daddy's little girl: her father founded Magna and she took over after his retirement. This will get her all of the crony capitalism innuendos/flack, etc. (rumors surrounding her father's penchant for race horses and the track may also come into play) Having worked in the industry as a supplier to Magna, I'd say her record as CEO is somewhat mixed, but that may be due to the automotive industry having excess capacity in a flat demand market for the last 3-4 years. To her credit, she did "grow up" with the company, so she should have first-hand experience with the inanities of Canadian corporate taxation and regulation of industry.

Good luck to her.

Spring is in the air and love springs higher than an X Prize. Can Rutan compete?

My request: Put her picture up again, whether or not she wins.

I don't know how brilliant she is. I thought she was in a debate and came off weak.

Free Kanadastan!

Belinda has everything going for her except that she is a horrible public speaker. She is quite painful to watch her read a speech. She can't seem to handle more than a sentence before referring again to her notes.

Unfortunately I'm not so sure about the rise of the Canadian Conservative Party. I think we'll take a few more lumps from the statist Liberals and NDP first. Notwithstanding that comment, there is a possibility of a Conservative minority government in a week.

People tend to improve with practice. Hell, even GWB has improved. A little (Actually to be fair, he improved a lot, but only on prepared speeches).

She has probably not had to do this very much before. Give her a year or two and I'll bet she is just worlds better.

Ohh canada indeed. She has dimples, and I notice that she is smiling with her eyes too... can sincerity and politics co-exist?

Is she married?

She reminds me of Sian wassname the weather girl....
...not sure whether 'tis a good thing or not!

As some other posters have pointed out, she is the daughter of the founder of the company and has (as far as I know) always worked for Magna until she decided to get into politics.

She ran for the leadership of the newly merged Conservative Party of Canada recently and came second but she spent a lot of money of the campaign and got a lot of publicity. She is a political neophyte and is a terrible public speaker. All she could talk about was "baking a bigger economic pie".

That said, she has done a lot to help the merger between the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance and she should win her seat next week.

If she gets some decent political experience and improves her speaking skills then she should do well in the future.

PS - I really hope the Conservatives get a majority on Monday!! I've already voted from the UK.

Maybe not, Steven.
How many left leaning Quebecers do you think are also suckers for a pretty face? Remember to the left - it's about how thiongs FEEL!

Given Kim Campbell's bad luck in office, the PC might just as easily shy away from an attractive blonde as promote her.

I like her. I don't really mind the inability to speak well in public. I generally just examine voting records and stances on the issues. I understand the need for her to be a better speaker but she may improve with time (god knows I did from my first year traching college to my last - I went from one pack of cigareetes and two shots of vodka to calm down to just a cup of coffee and my speaking improved with time).

We only have her stances though andshe has not been clear at times but for the most part, I like her.

Its nice to see a shiny face on politics. Its always depressing to watch a lot of old haggard, guilt ridden, dour doomand gloom politicians on TV. As my great uncle said, "Oh it ain't that bad."

I am an American, so I can't vote for her, but she can sure come down here if whe ever needs a party to back her!

punk boy

Lets not overlook the fact that she has been chillin' with Bill Clinton since he left office. I'm not sure quite what that means, but it can't be anything good.

Speaking of Clinton, it's a shame that she's being criticized for being a poor public speaker. The Clintonian model is style over substance. It's not what you say, but how you say it. Very sad for a democracy where new ideas are the currency of the kingdom.

"Lets not overlook the fact that she has been chillin' with Bill Clinton "

It might mean that a shrewd political specialist has spotted a promising candidate. It might mean he has spotted a pretty face. It might mean she gets a good instructor to improve her political skils. It might mean she gets a boost. It might mean ... (no, no frivolity here, this is a serious blog).

Hell, I'd sit around and shoot the bs with Bill too. He's an interesting character and politically skilled. As President he was so busy with scandals that he left the economy alone.

And besides... Bill Clinton would practically be Right-Wing in Canada ;-)

What Dale said. Any politician could learn a lot from talking to Clinton, who is one of the best political tacticians we have seen. This is without regard to the substance, just at how good he was at the game.

I got a chance to meet and talk with her at the conservative caucus a few months ago, she's very new to politics and that is against her. But she'll become more confident as time goes on. Besides the rather obvious physical charms, she does have a good mind, and has a great passion for what the country 'could' be; rather then what it is now.

I have alot of hope for the Conservatives now that we are united as one party, she didn't have a chance of winning the leadership race; but she was clear for second place and has a very good chance of a head position in the government.

The only real problem is she leans farther to the social programs then anything else, it really shouldn't surprise anyone who follow Canadian politics tho. She also has a problem of flip-floping on issues she doesn't understand. Hopefully, she's learned in the last few months.

Well we'll see...the election is the 28th...and I'm hoping to see a Conservative majority.

Hey, someone's stolen my favourite political comment. When one of my colleagues was canvassing for a mate of his who was running for the NDP - Canadian socialist party - he said to me when I hammer on a door and a housewife answers and asks me why she should vote for Joel, she just pooh-poohs my spiel. What else can I do? Tell her Joel's cute - he was megacute - quoth I and ask her how often one gets a chance to vote for someone cute? Since it's a given that politicians of every political persuasion are hopeless duds, at least having some nice faces to look at is compensation. If a cutie pie turned up at any election in my area, I'd vote for him/her regardless of party affiliation simply because it would be such a novel experience. Alas no such luck to date. Do you think that the ill-favoured gravitate to politics for some as yet undiscovered arcane reason and is this a possible thesis subject for some aspiring PhD in poli-sci?

hot

Are we so used to unattractive women being right of centre we think this was in anything special? Yeesh, talk about low standards.

Back to what matters, it is possible that the Tories in Canada will win. Alas, it looks as if it will probably be a slim majority at best.

Hi -

Actually, Frank Stronach , her father, isn't retired: he returned to Austria, where he was born, and is running the European operations. Extraordinarily successful, and Magna is building all X3 models for BMW in Austria.

Perhaps the Canadians have yet to learn that perhaps the best politicians are those who really aren't politicians, but rather people who want to get things done and set things right.

John

PS: Frank Stronach is a tad loony: he wanted to open up an immense amusement park near Vienna, complete with a huge mirrored globe advertising Magna. Failed completely since Austria isn't Nevada and Vienna isn't Las Vegas...

As others have noted, she was handed the reigns of power to Magna. She's a pretty face, but she hasn't proved anything beyond that. So, until she actually arouses the troops by what she says rather than how she looks, why should anyone care? She's a rank-and-file MP who may not even be elected. Best of luck, but I wouldn't put my future on her.

Belinda is 38, single, brilliant, gorgeous, an experienced senior manager and capitalist to her DNA base pairs.

She's got two children and two ex-husbands. In the Conservative leadership debate she was revealed as a blank brained bimbette. She also sported her usual heavy layer of makeup and expensive hair grooming. She's a "vice-president" of a company her father owns. Her father was active in the Liberal Party. That's the statist, America-hating, Cuba-loving, tax-and-spend Eurotrash welfare state wannabe Liberal Party - you know, that Liberal Party?

I watched part of the televised 'debate'...She's a blank brained bimbette. And although I will be voting today for a Conservative candidate, I don't particularly care if she does not get elected. It seems to me that her second place finish was an aberation and giving her a front bench position would be a disaster for a Conservative government, especially if it is a minority (as the polls seem to suggest will be the result: front page of the National Post this morning cited two poll studies: 117 and 132 seats (155 needed for a majority).
Interesting times.

And IIRC Mark Steyn had some cogent comments about BS. I think one of the least offensive was that her paycheque at $10,000,000 was only 10% of daddy's take!

And for ugly women being 'right of centre' I protest that that is NOT the Canadian situation: I respond with: Sheila Copps, Carrolyn Parrish and Hedy Fry.

Off to vote.
Geoff

Could ya post a better resolution photo at least? Please? Eek, I feel like I've flipped channels and accidentally landed on "The View".
Just hope her thoughts are more in focus than her picture.

Would this be the same Conservative Party that nearly wrecked the country last time they were in office, while introducing a brand new national sales tax?

- Josh

Belinda is the only Conservative MP thats any good if she becomes leder of the Conservative party she will make it for the people onlike the other Conservative MP's that will wreck the Country. Belinda is for the people but if she is not able to become leder or Fix the Conservative Party then she shood join the NDP's because Belinda reminds me of an NDP MP. Belinda is the New Energy that Jack Layton is looking for.

Belinda is the only Conservative Politician thats any good if she becomes leader of the Conservative party she will make it for the people unlike the other Conservative Politician's that will wreck the Country. Belinda is for the people but if she is not able to become leader or change the Conservative Party then she should join the NDP's because Belinda reminds me of an NDP Politician. Belinda Stronach is the New Energy that Jack Layton is looking for.

Belinda is the only Conservative Politician thats any good if she becomes leader of the Conservative party she will make it for the people unlike the other Conservative Politician's that will wreck the Country. Belinda is for the people but if she is not able to become leader or change the Conservative Party then she should join the NDP's because Belinda reminds me of an NDP Politician. Belinda Stronach is the New Energy that Jack Layton is looking for. I hope Belinda will read this.

editorial note: comment deleted on the grounds it may be defamatory

editorial note: comment deleted on the grounds it may be defamatory

How familiar are you with the Bilderbergers, and the fact that Brian Mulrooney, Bob Rae, Jean Cretian, and Paul Martin, all have close ties with Paul Demerais of Power Corporation.
With the structure of the present government system ie; a minority government doesn't work and a majority government is a dictatorship as to quote Jean Cretian "I am the Prime minister I can do anything I want"

Fact is she is not a capitalist. Hear is some facts about Belinda:

Canada's Conservative Party has some new blood. Belinda Stronach recently left a $10 million/year job as CEO of international auto parts manufacturer Magna International. Belinda is 38, single, brilliant, gorgeous, an experienced senior manager and socialist to her DNA base pairs. Her views are more like a Social Democrat (Left-Wing)

If you have something substantive to add to the discussion, do so. Strings of abusive language are not acceptable on Samizdata.

I could not believe what she did, she has gone from being one of the shining lights of the conservatives to being the most revieled individual in western canada, to stab your party in the back at this critical time was unbelievable. And to join that den of thieves, the liberals make Hells Angels and the Mafia look good, Hell even the gangs in L.A. have more integrety.
P.S. see I kept it clean and that took unbelievable effort. It took hours to work it out of my system.

It is difficult to believe Ms. Stronach trotted across the floor of parliament because she suddenly discovered she didn't like the Conservative Party platform. That same platform she tried to embrace when she ran for leader and for representative.
Mr. Martin has been trying to coax Conservatives across the floor with offers of posts and it looks like he's finally hooked one.

It is difficult to believe Ms. Stronach trotted across the floor of parliament because she suddenly discovered she didn't like the Conservative Party platform. That same platform she tried to embrace when she ran for leader and for representative.
Mr. Martin has been trying to coax Conservatives across the floor with offers of posts and it looks like he's finally hooked one. How many long serving Liberals will be looking on as a newby gets a post.

Good to see that she has jumped ship to the Liberals from the Regressive Conservatives. If she had true sense, she would keep moving to the left.

Good to see that she has jumped ship to the Liberals from the Regressive Conservatives. If she had true sense, she would keep moving to the left.

Bleindia Act i think is BAD for canada. Conservative is good for canada, not the corrupt liberal. But for Blendia her self and her motives, it is an excellent career move. But all of canada will suffer

I supported Scott Brison as a delegate when he ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives (socially liberal, fiscally responsible - perfect). I watched in horror as Peter MacKay sold the farm to David Orchard to further his own petty ambitions. But, although I had very mixed feelings about the Alliance / Conservative merger, I was willing to give it a chance because I felt that there needed to be a strong alternative to the Liberal evil empire. I watched as Belinda, someone with too much money to be bought, did her best to try and enter politics. It was a hell of a jump for a neophtye and I thought she did well. For the last 18 months I have watched as Stephen Harper and his right-wing cronies have taken the so-called "merged" party and turned it into an "all Alliance, all the time" fiasco. I don't like or trust the Liberals. I have never voted for the Liberals. I think the sponsorship scandal was only the latest event in a decade of shady dealings, missing money and broken promises. But I don't think the time to force an election is now. I think if the Conservatives think they could win an election at this time, they need to pull their collective heads out. And I think that if Belinda honestly felt alienated by her party (and I know she must have, given that she was booed every time she tried to speak at the recent policy convention in Montreal) then she made a principled decision.

I met Belinda Stronach at a Conservative gathering in Oakville, Ontario and heard her speak. She rated high as "eye candy" but when she opened her mouth - fluffy feathered words with no weight came out. She repeats the same sound bites without having digested their meaning. They are not her words. Her smile is canned.

She has not spent enough time in any of her endevours to know what she wants, thinks or is talking about. That includes her university education (1 year), her marriages (2 flops), her politics and her morals.

Take away her daddy's $ billions, and she's a bimbo not worthy to head the local parent-teacher association. I class her a spoiled brat - I class the current political event a demonstration that money can buy position in Canada even for a monkey. Human resources policy in Canada will suffer with such fluff at the top.

Its a good thing that Belinda Stronach cross the floor to the Liberals to bring back Left-Wing-Liberalism. She has guts and she is for Canada. I know that she was not happy with the Conservatives.

Among the Liberal Party of Canada right now, the big prize would be to be made our Ambassador to the Vatican- they have no extradition treaties with any country. (My personal guess, is that Jean Cruton will score that plum- thanks to a 1.25 million dollar 'donation' to His Former Popeness at our Catholic 'Woodstock'.

Here is my blog entry on Belinda Stronach. You might find it an interesting piece:

Things Left Unsaid by the Media About Belinda Stronach's Political Career(Link)