Jumping to the defence of Belinda
CTV is reporting today that Belinda Stronach might not run in the next election, whenever it comes. But CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said something that didn't ring true. I'd like to set the record straight.
Update: It looks like CTV has corrected the mistake...mostly.
Robert Fife drops the bombshell in a story about the appointment of Martha Hall Findlay to be the candidate of the riding of Willowdale in Toronto:
Fife said observers expect Dion to continue appointing women to prominent ridings in anticipation of a coming election.
However, the political future of Belinda Stronach -- one of the Liberals' most prominent female MPs -- has come into question in Ottawa recently, Fife said.
"She has been more or less eclipsed since the Liberal leadership race. She doesn't have a critic's job, she rarely ever gets up in the House of Commons to ask questions, and people here in Ottawa are wondering whether she is going to run again for the party," Fife said. [emphasis added]
"Her office and she herself insist that she is, but there are some doubts here."
She doesn't have a critic's job? Is Fife right about that?
Here's the full listing of the Shadow Cabinet as it appears in Wikipedia:
She is still listed in that position in the current Liberal Party caucus document.
But Fife might have misspoken. Though Belinda has a critic position, it is also true that she does not sit on any caucus committees. She is the critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy, but she is not on the Committee on Economic Prosperity, or the Committee on Canada and the World.
That is odd, and might support the argument that Belinda has been marginalized for some reason.
It's a subtle point, but I think it is a point that needs to be set straight.
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Comments
Maybe Belinda's going to manage her father's new enterprise:
"Frank's Energy Drink - it keeps you yodelling all night long."
She already appears to have posed as the "Austrian Girl."
from http://www.daifallah.com/blog.htm
Posted by: Gabby in QC at March 15, 2007 03:11 PM
It may also have been a leak from the OLO to send a hint to Belinda i.e. the Dion/Kennedy people want their own person in Newmarket-Aurora.
My guess is that Belinda will run for either the Ont Libs or the Ont Cons in the next provincial election.
Or, run Chrysler if Magna gets control of it (very unlikely). Run it right into the ground...
Posted by: ANON at March 15, 2007 03:45 PM
Maybe Fife meant to say she doesn't have a critical job. It's really a shame that the Liberals haven't put a highly qualified woman like Belinda Stronach in a more prominent role.
Posted by: at March 15, 2007 03:55 PM
Naah! Belinda's getting on real good with Bubba. When the HildeBeast gets into the Oval Office and gets too busy, Ol' Billy Boy and Her Magnamifence can swan around to their hearts content. Who needs Canada, Eh, Belinda?
Posted by: Alberta Pat at March 15, 2007 04:24 PM
I agree it is a fine point, but what the heck does Critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy do anyhow?
We don't even have a Minister of Competitiveness so there is not a whole lot to critique.
Maybe it has something to do with baking pies.
Posted by: KyleD at March 15, 2007 04:44 PM
HildeBeast,Magnamifence etc...too funny A P:Thanks for the chuckles.
Cheers
Posted by: Simon at March 15, 2007 04:51 PM
My understanding that BS was (already) renominated in November before the leadership convention. If so, Fife's full of his own BS, as usual.
Posted by: Erik Sorenson at March 15, 2007 05:30 PM
Belinda was asking questions about status of women,
I have to say that i thought her questions were actual
better thought out than most of the Liberal MPs perhaps here "history " caused her to be a bit more careful
Posted by: ian at March 15, 2007 06:02 PM
I heard it from reliable sources that Belinda & Bill will be spending their spring following Phish on their North American reunion tour.
Posted by: Levesque at March 15, 2007 06:09 PM
She doesn't have a critic's job, ...
Critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy Hon. Belinda Stronach
OK, OK. She has a critic's job. The problem is that what she's supposed to be criticizing is utterly meaningless.
If Canadians are "uncompetitive", it's because too much of their money is being spent by governmentopian knobs who, although they have never worked at a legitimate private-sector job in their life, think they should be paid to manage "The New Economy". Which is a lot like the Old Economy, except that the money you earn is worth a lot less and the people trying to claim a piece of it are shrieking a lot louder.
Posted by: at March 15, 2007 07:18 PM
There are plenty of hockey goons that Belinda hasn't date yet.
Posted by: Real Conservative at March 15, 2007 07:43 PM
hello
Posted by: clar@gmail.com at May 6, 2007 10:55 AM
 
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