Belinda: The Political and Private Life of Belinda Stronach

Ashley Thomson is a full librarian at Laurentian University and co-editor or co-author of nine books, most recently Margaret Atwood: A Reference Guide, 1988-2005.

Before I began this book, I knew that Belinda Stronach was a striking
blond university dropout and a former president of Magna International
who in 2003 facilitated the creation of the new Conservative Party of
Canada. I also knew that in 2004 she contested the leadership of that
party and came in second to Stephen Harper. That same year she ran as a
Conservative MP in Newmarket, Aurora (home to the Magna empire), won,
became disillusioned with Harper, joined the Liberals as a minister,
saved the Liberals in a crucial vote two days later, saw them defeated
later that year, ran for re-election as a Liberal, and since February
2006 has been a backbencher. And did I mention that she dresses nicely
and has relationships with such high-profile people as Bill Clinton,
Peter MacKay, and Tie Domi, not all of which have been platonic?

I never thought that Stronach would have got as far as she has if her
last name had been, say, Hall Findlay, and I regret that Don Martin does
little to change my mind. Shut out from key sources, such as Stephen
Harper, Martin was forced to rely on interviews with Belinda and her
friends, supplemented by the oodles of media reports. The end result is
a puff piece that sheds some light on Belinda’s past but not much. We
learn that her parents had a marriage of convenience, that she remains
pals with her two ex-husbands, that she spent bundles of money in
pursuit of her leadership ambitions. We also learn that for a short
time, she chaired Magna’s well-known contest The Next Great Prime
Minister. It is that kind of book.

To be fair, Martin does acknowledge Stronach’s considerable
shortcomings, such as her inability to express a consistent,
intelligible platform, but all this makes one wonder why the author of
the much superior King Ralph bothered to expend his talents on such a
subject. Now that Ms. Stronach has announced her retirement from
politics, there is even less reason to read this book.