Belinda Lives in a Little Glass House... Stronach Bolts the Canadian Conservatives in Return for a Cabinet Post

This is such an amazing story. I can't remember ever seeing anything this raw and cynical. This is not what you are sued to seeing in a mature democracy; more like what happens in Korea, with elected representatives switching sides in return for favours. The closest thing I can think of was Jack Horner's defection to the Trudeau Liberals for a cabinet post, and that wasn't even close: there was no question of keeping the government in power by doing it. There is no way to exaggerate the betrayal: Stronach even turned coat on her significant other, Peter Mackay, Conservative deputy leader. As a member of the shadow cabinet, she is in a position to reveal the Conservatives' election strategy to the other side.

It also puts paid to the Liberals' denial that they had been wooing Conservative MPs to switch sides.

In the short term, it is very damaging to the Conservatives. Stronach was their star candidate last election, and would have been a star this time. There is nothing so important to them as prominent candidates in Ontario. She was also a moderate, who reassured the Red Tories about the recent merger. And this one vote really may be enough to save the Liberals from falling on a no-confidence motion until January, when Martin has promised to call an election on his own.

On the other hand, I think Stronach has ended her political career. I suspect she was thinking, Harper is doing too well; the door was closed to the Conservative leadership for her in the forseeable future. Had Harper stumbled, she would have been the favourite to succeed him. On the other hand, Martin is clearly stumbling, without an heir apparent...

But I think she has revealed herself as grossly ambitious, unprincipled, superficial, selfish and spoiled. She looks as though she craves the spotlight above all else.

Meantime, the gambit soils the Liberals' already terrible image for corruption, political wheeling and dealing, and cynicism. I think it actually goes further toward sealing their doom, if not in June, then more certainly in January or February.

In the meantime it gives us all a wonderful soap opera to watch.