Angry in the Great White North

When most of us register a domain name, we go to any number of registry companies that will take care of the paper work required, and maybe even sell us re-direction services and email addresses attached to the new domain.

Few of us will use a seriously exclusive public research firm to handle something so mundane.

But then none of us are Belinda Stronach!

Here is an image of the registry information for her website:

Navigator Limited?

Never heard of it either. Not the sort of company most of us think of for doing domain registrations:

Navigator is a research-based strategy firm that works with companies, organizations and governments to solve corporate and public affairs challenges through strategic counsel and communications campaigns.

Decision-makers from a variety of sectors come to Navigator with corporate and public affairs challenges.

And although the specifics of our clients' challenges are unique, there is one constant. Each needs to successfully make their case in the court of public opinion.

So Belinda has hired a serious research and public opinion firm to make her case.

Sounds like she isn't leaving anything to chance.

Our assignments are managed by senior professionals with established track records in business, law, government, academia, and the media.

We are a team of people who work well together, share values, and enjoy each other's company. Together, we achieve wins for our clients.

So who are these serious players who Belinda has hired to make sure the constituents of Newmarket-Aurora don't become a serious "public affairs challenge"? Who are these people who work well together and share values?

• Jaime Watt
• Warren Kinsella
• Glenn Murrary
• Robin Sears

Not familiar with all the names?

Jaime Watt is a well-known political strategist and a chameleon, politically speaking. He helped Mike Harris' Conservatives win back-to-back victories in Ontario. He was also convicted of fraud with regards to a business he owned, and had to go. Later he help Liberal Barbara Hall make a run for Toronto mayor.

In 2004, he ran Belinda Stronach's Conservative campaign. Now he's helping out with Belinda the Liberal.

Warren Kinsella? We all know who he is. He's the Jean Chretien special assistant, chief of staff to David Dingwall, architect of the Sponsorship Program, and an "inexperienced political staffer", according to the Gomery Report. He loathes Paul Martin.

Glen Murray is another Liberal Party operator, and Paul Martin made him chair of a National Round Table on the Environment and Economy last March, ignoring a non-binding vote that passed in the House of Commons arguing against that appointment.

Robin Sears is a major NDP player. Here's what he said in April, 2005:

The Communist Party of China and the Liberal Party of Canada are increasingly similar, both ideologically and culturally. While each pledges a commitment to social justice and economic progress, and despite the genuine conviction of many of their partisans that the party's crusade is real, both parties are fascinating examples of Weber's "iron law of oligarchy". The leadership elites of each tack into the prevailing political winds, with one strategic goal only - personal political survival.

Seems like he'd be a perfect fit for helping out Belinda, who epitomizes personal political survival.

So Belinda seems to have linked up with a firm of Liberal and NDP progressives (Murray and Watt are both openly gay deeply into gay activist issues) with the goal of making sure that there are no surprises. A highly polished campaign, designed by public opinions professionals to make sure that the people of Newmarket-Aurora make no mistake when they go to the ballot box.

Conservative...Liberal...it doesn't matter. What matters is Belinda's "personal political survival", and for that she'll pay for the best.

Poor Lois Brown, Belinda's Conservative opponent. If I were her, I'd be worried about private investigators research specialists snooping around her garbage. As for campaign help, she'll have to make do with amateurs and volunteers who felt betrayed when Belinda sold her vote (and her riding) for a cabinet seat:

[Belinda Stronach] is asking the Conservative volunteers who helped her get elected in 2004 to come work for the Liberal party.

Kylie-Anne Young, 24, of Newmarket, who managed youth activities for Stronach in the 2004 campaign, said she got angry when she saw the letter.

"She sold out every single person who volunteered for her," Young said.

"I think she's scared of losing, quite honestly. She alienated a lot of people, and now she's grasping at straws to get them back."

For the 2006 election, Young has decided to volunteer for Lois Brown, the Conservative candidate for Newmarket-Aurora.

Clutching at straws? Turns out those "straws" are among the best public opinion manipulators money can buy.