Recently I observed to a few people that if Magna were successful in taking over Chrysler, Belinda Stronach would be provided with a plausible rationale for returning to Magna, and the Conservatives could get back the Newmarket-Aurora seat. She is not even waiting long enough for the takeover to go through. From Canadian Press:
OTTAWA — Belinda Stronach’s brief but tumultuous foray into federal politics is about to end.
The heiress to the auto-parts fortune announced today that she won’t seek re-election in the next federal election and will become executive vice-chairwoman of Magna International Inc. (TSX:MG.A).
“I am always assessing the best role I can play in public life and, after being encouraged by members of the corporate leadership at Magna to return, I have decided that the timing of my return to the business should not be delayed,” Stronach said in a news release.
I’d love to know how many members of the corporate leadership who aren’t named Stronach encouraged her to return. As others have observed, the last time she quit Magna her job was left, er, vacant. But this time she is replacing someone, her father's longtime associate Manfred Gingl. Gingl announced recently that he is taking over Magna's new after-market division. (N.B. if you Google Gingl (tee hee), you will find a March 31st Toronto Star story about his departure.)
The Conservatives have already nominated Lois Brown to contest the Newmarket-Aurora seat.
Given Stronach’s high regard for her own abilities and dilettantism – which she calls “always assessing the best role I can play in public life” – I lay at least even odds that she runs again.
1 comment:
If the folks in her riding are unhappy about her keeping both jobs, Dion does have one option to protect his brand: removing her from caucus.
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