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Belinda Stronach Leaves PoliticsMainstream Media Will Miss Covering Stronach's Every ActionWhile opportunistic at times, Belinda Stronach has been an important figure on the Canadian political scene for the last three years, facing sexism on many occasions
Whether they will admit it or not, Belinda Stronach will be missed by many Canadians who follow the federal political scene. While you might disagree with her decision to cross the floor in 2005, or her somewhat questionable taste in men, you cannot fault her determination to succeed, her ability to make a splash, or her unflappable composure during some of the worst sexism we have seen in Canadian politics and media in recent years. Glass CeilingBelinda Stronach certainly came into the world of politics from a privileged background; her father Frank Stronach founded the very successful Magna International, and Belinda held high-level positions with this organization before running for office in 2004. With this being said, many of our politicians today come from rather similar backgrounds: Paul Martin’s family was in the shipping industry, Brian Mulroney was from an upper-class Montreal neighborhood, and Preston Manning was from a political dynasty in Alberta. However, because Ms. Stronach is female, it has seemed that her privileged background has been the subject of far more jokes, barbs, and criticisms than her male counterparts. This extra attention to Stronach did not dissipate after the Conservative leadership race ended in 2004, where she finished second to Stephen Harper. Belinda won a seat in the House of Commons in the spring of that year, narrowly defeating a Liberal candidate in Newmarket-Aurora. Personal ChoicesBelinda’s choices of men, particularly Peter McKay, Bill Clinton and Tie Domi, have all been much debated by the Canadian press. Her relationship with McKay ended when she crossed the floor to become a Liberal in 2005, and McKay went home to Nova Scotia to mend his broken heart in front of television cameras on his family property. Stronach became an able cabinet minister under Paul Martin, but still was dogged by media criticism that she was simply a manufactured politician, more interested in style than substance. The comments by Conservative members of Parliament about Belinda once she crossed the floor were increasingly rude (including a particularly offensive one by Peter McKay), and it is understandable that Ms. Stronach might want to return to the private sector for some, well, privacy. Media LossIt is the mainstream media that will eventually be the losers in this whole affair: Canadian politics have lacked a true celebrity since the days of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and Belinda brought a bit of that glamour back to Parliament Hill. She was also a voracious fundraiser, and had the ability to appeal to both suburban and urban voters in an increasingly polarized electorate. While she was undoubtedly opportunistic at times, Ms. Stronach made a mark on the Canadian political scene in more ways than one.
The copyright of the article Belinda Stronach Leaves Politics in Newspaper Journalism is owned by Kate Butler. Permission to republish Belinda Stronach Leaves Politics in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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