>>REVIEW
BELINDA: THE POLITICAL AND PRIVATE LIFE OF BELINDA STRONACH
Don Martin
Key Porter Books, 288 pp.
I love a good political biography. When an author succeeds in intertwining the various threads of a person’s private, public and political life together with an understanding of the subject’s personality, the broader historical and sociological context, and the writer’s interpretation of the influence of the person and their environment, the result is a truly rewarding tapestry. Some Canadian examples of outstanding political biography include David Frank’s work on Cape Breton labour leader J.B. McLachlan, the McLeods’ masterful biography of Tommy Douglas, Richard Gwyn’s measured treatment of Pierre Trudeau and, more recently, Geoffrey Stevens’s nuanced portrayal of Dalton Camp. Ultimately, the art of political biography is best displayed in the subtle blend of an interesting subject, balanced research and use of sources and provocative, yet sober analysis.
And, then, we have Calgary Herald and National Post columnist Don Martin’s Belinda: The Political and Private Life of Belinda Stronach. As with many biographies, Martin uses a question to provide structure and flow to the book – in this particular case, why would Belinda Stronach give up her business career and comfortable private life for the fickle charms of party politics, the unrelenting pressure of media scrutiny and the staccato drama of the House of Commons?
Using interviews with Stronach, her father and other "insiders," the volume recounts Stronach’s career at her father’s company, Magna International, and chronicles her controversial foray into federal politics. Martin details Stronach’s supposedly pivotal role in bringing the PCs and WCC-Reform-Alliance together, the influence of her father, her presumptuous and ill-conceived attempt to win the leadership of the newly minted Conservative Party – spending $5.3 million in the process – her increasingly acrimonious relationship with party leader Stephen Harper and her subsequent defection to the Liberals.
At some level, these are interesting vignettes. But, at root, I don’t think that the volume adds to our actual understanding of Stronach and her actions – surely the primary function of biography. Ultimately, Martin doesn’t answer his central question. We are provided with a pastiche of "what," "when" and "how," but not "why." Martin’s work is short on the necessary analysis and fails to generate a compelling answer as to why Stronach went into politics and what her political ideas actually are beyond an ill-defined fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. As a result, the Belinda Stronach offered in this book comes off as one-dimensional, superficial yet ambitious.
Perhaps this might be due to the fact that, currently at least, the life of this car-parts heiress and neophyte politician is hardly worthy of a serious biography. However, in addition to the obvious limits of the subject, there are also shortcomings in terms of actual presentation. In places, the volume reads like a fanzine, with Martin gushing about how attractive and well-dressed Stronach is, how appealing her jet set life is and adding quotes from his interviews with her that read more like clumsy flirtation than serious political journalism, let alone biography. He also provides touches of melodrama – mascara tears and all – when he retells the crumbling love story of Stronach and fellow Conservative MP Peter MacKay on the eve of her finally succumbing to the tender embrace of the Liberal Party of Canada. It’s the stuff of Shakespeare!
Admittedly, elements of the book are solid and, on occasion, Martin’s wit and trenchant political analysis shine through. Whether you agree with him or not, his political journalism has value and insight. Additionally, Martin does a good job in considering the structural barriers facing Stronach, as a youngish woman, in Canadian politics. He also, correctly, illustrates that the understandable criticism of Stronach’s switch to the Liberals was often supplemented by a crude and cruel sexism. Neither Scott Brisson nor David Emerson had the same vitriol thrown at them as Stronach when they traded one brand of conservatism for another.
Overall though, the volume is not as objective or analytical as it should be, and the author is unwilling to deal with the tough questions of the subject’s public and political life. As a result, his treatment of Stronach falls flat. In this volume, Martin fails to develop the blend necessary for good political biography. |
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