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BELINDA STRONACH: Cabinet minister will need all her star power in tight race
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| Contributor | User 13 |
| Last Edited | User 13 Jan 18, 2006 10:43pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Jan 18, 2006 10:00pm |
| Description | In the 2004 federal election, she won her seat in the House of Commons as a Conservative, then famously crossed the floor to the Liberals last May, helping to prop up Mr. Martin's government at a crucial juncture. Mr. Martin rewarded her with a cabinet post.
This time, Newmarket-Aurora will be the most-watched race in York Region, which stretches from Toronto north to Lake Simcoe, and from Woodbridge east to Markham.
Ms. Stronach has two things going for her. The riding was a Liberal stronghold until she won it in 2004, by fewer than 700 votes. And she has name recognition in the fast-growing region, which has a population of about 115,000. Her hometown of Aurora is the base for auto-parts giant Magna International Inc., founded by her father, self-made multimillionaire Frank Stronach. Ms. Stronach worked at Magna for 18 years, including three as CEO.
"I think she's grossly underestimated," said Ed Lumley, a former Liberal cabinet minister and a long-time Magna director who spent last Saturday campaigning for Ms. Stronach. "Once you get beyond her star quality, she knows what she doesn't know and she works at it."
On the down side, Ms. Stronach is confronting two big negatives: simmering anger over her defection and the Liberal Party's dwindling fortunes.
"Any time you go against the tide, it's always hard to win," said a friend who also spent Saturday knocking on doors in her riding. |
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