At 10:35 AM on May 17,2005, the three-car prime ministerial convoy pulled up on Wellington Street, and beaming Prime Minister Paul Martin emerged with a dashing blonde MP wearing a nervous smile. After only 11 months of experience in Ottawa, Belinda Stronach became the biggest political news story in 2005, when she infamously crossed the floor, turning from Conservative Party saviour to Tory assassin. In this candid biography, bestselling author Don Martin documents the life of Belinda Stronach, arguably one of the most glamorous and controversial figures in Canadian politics today. From her upbringing in Aurora, Ontario, under the watchful eye of her father, Magna International founder and CEO, Frank Stronach, to the untold story of her teen years and short-lived university experience, to climbing the ladder of the family business to becoming on of Fortune’s and Time Magazine’s most influential women in business, this inside account details Stronach’s growing political interest and culminates with her direct influence on uniting and then betraying the Conservative Party of Canada. With candid interviews from Stronach and her aides, Martin uncovers her testy relationship with then Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper, the true behind-the-scenes events that led up to her defection and her very public breakup with MP Peter MacKay, and her role as a backbencher MP in a collapsed Liberal Party, searching for a new leader. The family dynasty, the cosmopolitan life-style and a short political life already marked by controversy has made Belinda Stronach one of the most intriguing personalities in Canadian politics today. National Post and Calgary Herald columnist Don Martin combines political intrigue, sex appeal, Hollywood jet-setting and boardroom controversy to offer a full portrayal of a fascinating woman. “[ Belinda] is all about glamour, the glitz, the controversy, and yes, the sex appeal of Stronach’s dabbling in politics… Certainly, Stronach hasn’t done politics the Old Boys’ way and she has dared to be different.”— Winnipeg Free Press “ Belinda is a highly readable chronicle of a woman who seems to defy serious scrutiny. . . Martin comes to an intriguing thesis: The Stronach defection actually shocked the Tories into a unity that helped them win the Jan. 23 election this year. I think he’s on to something.”— Toronto Star (front page coverage) “In Belinda: The Political and Private Life of Belinda Stronach, Martin presents a detailed look at a woman whose political accomplishments are thin so far, but who has brought glamour, money and celebrity cachet to the staid world of Canadian public affairs.”— Winnipeg Free Press “Martin is at his best as a political analyst.” – The Globe and Mail “Don Martin’s book is honest, without being gossipy or tabloid-style.” — Shelf Life

DON MARTIN is the bestselling author of King Ralph: The Political Life and Success of Ralph Klein. He began his journalism career in 1978 on the city hall beat in Calgary, Alberta, where he gained notoriety as a political commentator. Today, he writes about federal politics from Ottawa four times weekly, dividing his time between the National Post, the Calgary Herald and CanWest Canada News Desk. His columns are syndicated to CanWest newspapers nationally. He is a regular commentator on CBC Television, CBC Radio, CTV and Global. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

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