Apparently no longer content with simply owning politicians,Magna International CEO Belinda Stronach has determined that she wants to beone. While Stronach’s entry into political life will be greatly eased by herfamily fortune and extensive business connections, she faces significantobstacles in her bid to lead the newly emerged Conservative Party.

Although her leadership bid is her first attempt at electoralpolitics, it’s not as if the Stronach family has been absent from publiclife until this moment. Her father Frank ran as a Liberalin the 1988 federal election, a campaign during which the party claimed tobe opposed to Free Trade. He was courting many of the same voters who nowlive in the new riding of Newmarket-Aurora, where Belinda Stronach plans toseek a seat for the Conservatives.

Magna also played host to thewidely-criticized out-of-legislature experience that masqueraded as the 2003Ontario Budget presentation (read by Janet Ecker, now one of thespokespeople for Stronach’s campaign in a Magna auto-parts plant).

A more private, but equally influential, political role has beenplayed by the Stronachs’ bulging bank accounts. Prime Minister Paul Martin($55,000), the Harris/Eves Tories, Ontario PC leadership candidatesincluding Tony Clement ($40,000), Tory leader Peter MacKay ($100,000), andeven David Orchard are among the beneficiaries of their largesse. It hasbeen widely reported that Belinda Stronach used that financial leverage toforce the shotgun marriage of the Canadian Alliance and ProgressiveConservatives last fall.

At the time of the merger, Stronach categorically denied rumoursthat she was plotting to take over the newly merged party. In November, shetold reporters “that’s a definite no,” when they questioned her about it ona visit to a Parliament Hill. Of course, that didn’t stop her (or someoneworking for her) from registering her personal web domain name within daysof the merger agreement being signed.

Now that she’s officially in the race, Stronach needs to defineherself for party members and Canadians in general. Robert McDermid, apolitical science professor at York University indicates that “it’s not wellknown where she stands on many issues.” Even one anonymous Toronto businessanalyst commented to The Globe and Mail that “she’s an unknown commodity.They keep her hidden.”

Unfortunately for all concerned, her opening press conference did little toremedy that situation. She promised to lead with “honesty, compassion,fairness, respect and integrity.” She informed us that she differs with theentire Conservative caucus on same-sex marriage (she supports it). Shefavours gun control, but opposes the gun registry. She smoked pot as ateenager, but thinks she should have a criminal record for having done so.She believes that Canadian soldiers should be fighting in Iraq but, thenagain, says that she’s “not a military expert” (as if that is a requirementfor having an opinion on such a fundamental issue). Apart from that, hercomments were what you might expect to hear from Paul Martin. Compare thesetwo paragraphs, for example, one of which was spoken by Belinda Stronach andthe other spoken by Paul Martin:*

  • “It is absolutely essential that we continue to lower our nationaldebt load, in order to keep our interest rates low, continue to lower taxes,and keep the flexibility we need to respond to an unpredictableinternational economy. Governments must never forget the lessons of prudentfiscal management. That means always keeping a firm grip on spending — always, but essentially and especially in the uncertain times now facing theglobal economy.”
  • “I believe first and foremost in a strong economy. Only with a strongeconomy can we support social programs. We need to bake a bigger economicpie in this country to give Canadians the tools they need to compete in thisfierce global environment. I would promote the creation of industry-basedtechnology centres across the country that allow young people to learn thetechnological skills that they so desperately need to competeinternationally.”

Stronach commented at her launch that, “Our goal is not just to present analternative to the Liberals. We plan to defeat them.” But, given how closethe goals of the two parties have become, and given that Stronach had noproblem giving $55,000 to Paul Martin last year, the question is, “Whybother trying?”

The danger of not having clearly defined positions is that one’s opponentsare often able to “fill in the blanks.” Stronach is vulnerable in threekey areas: her lack of political experience; her lack of facility in French;and a personal wealth that is widely perceived to put her out of touch withthe concerns of the average voter. While opponents within and outside theConservative Party will seek to play up these vulnerabilities, Stronach’scampaign team is trying to minimize them.

Stronach and her spokespeople (and she has a lot of them) play up herbusiness experience, deride “professional politicians,” and try to presenther as a common person. That’s why her announcement was held at a LegionHall instead of a country club. And, that’s why campaign sources workedovertime this week to portray Stronach as “a busy working mother” who canrelate to ordinary Canadians because “she faces similar challenges jugglingcareer and family” (which is especially hard to do on $12 million a year).

On the other side of the ledger, Canadian Alliance leaderStephen Harper, who had a head start on the other leadership candidates,says that the party doesn’t have “the luxury of experimenting withon-the-job-training.” He added that, “I can’t write a cheque for my owncampaign.” Clement’s people were even more brutal in their assessment:“She’s Paul Martin in a cocktail dress. Why would we, as the ConservativeParty, pick a leader like her, who cannot attack Martin for being RichieRich with a private jet and wealthy friends?” said an anonymous campaigninsider.

Perhaps that is why Paul Martin was the only person onParliament Hill who appeared happy with her entry into the leadership race.Stronach, he says, possesses “great intelligence” and “brings a verydifferent experience than the other candidates.” Smarting heavily from JackLayton’s efforts to draw attention to his record in business and in cabinet,Martin would love to be relegated to the position of “second richestpolitical leader.”

Meanwhile, the media honeymoon with Stronach will be a short one(and may, in fact, already be over). Toronto Star columnist James Traverscorrectly suggests that “the challenge for Stronach is clear. In just eightweeks she must demonstrate that she is the real deal, not a dilettantepushed by those with nothing to lose into the arms of a national media whosebest tricks are turning a welcoming embrace into a fatal stranglehold.”

Maclean’s columnist Paul Wells didn’t waste any time going after Stronach inhis blog. He savages her excuses for not learning French, comparing it tosomeone running for national office without understanding math. “I amcommitted to learning math. I will do my best to learn math. Oh, and Frenchtoo. I’ll be in the same class as Belinda Stronach.” Others, such as The Globeand Mail reporter Roy MacGregor have poked holes in her armour for a lack ofavailability to media, outside of scripted events.

Another commentator who has unsheathed his knives early is Craig Oliver ofCTV. “Up to now, she’s had a lot of flashy publicity because she hasn’t hadto come out front and expose herself. But she did that today and frankly shegave a lot of memorized answers, out of context. Her speech, which was socarefully written by whomever she could afford to write it, was delivered ina very flat manner. It was like watching a movie scene of a bright youngwoman who can afford to buy herself a crack at the Prime Ministership. Shekept saying she’s not a professional politician. Someone should have toldher that politics — especially at the national level — is not a game foramateurs. She’s going to have a very hard time.”

None of this is to suggest that Belinda Stronach cannot win. Heropponents — Harper and Clement — both come with their own liabilities. But,unlike every other job that she has ever held, Stronach is going to have tocompete very hard for this one.

* The first comments were Paul Martin’s. The latter belong to Belinda Stronach. Spot the difference.

picture-2299.jpg

Scott Piatkowski

Scott Piatkowski is a former columnist for rabble.ca. He wrote a weekly column for 13 years that appeared in the Waterloo Chronicle, the Woolwich Observer and ECHO Weekly. He has also written for Straight...