Don Braid: Jason Kenney says Rona Ambrose would make a 'brilliant' Conservative leader
“Rona would be my first call,” Premier Jason Kenney said about 20 minutes after learning that Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will resign.
He was referring of course to Rona Ambrose, former Alberta Conservative MP and interim party leader.
“She would be a brilliant leader,” he said in an interview.
“She can certainly expect a call from me asking her to consider it. I know Rona loves the fact that she has a normal life these days, a personal life.
“But I would say to her, to any number of people, voters told us they want a new prime minister.
“They want a change of government and we need leadership that’s up to the task.
“I haven’t thought it all through yet, but Rona would be my first call.”
Kenney got
the news about Scheer shortly before starting a year-end interview with me and colleague Chris Varcoe in his Calgary office.
He didn’t mention the resignation, but when we got the news via text message he was ready to answer questions.
The second obvious one is: What about him?
Kenney laughed.
“I have absolutely no intention of doing that. I’m totally focused on this job.
“I’ve always found these conspiracy theories frankly hilarious – that for some reason I left federal politics in order somehow to go back to it after three years. It makes no sense to me.
“I’m in the right job for the right reasons at the right time.”
Scheer had been under enormous pressure to resign.
At Kenney’s own UCP convention in Calgary only two weeks ago, his speech was greeted with limited enthusiasm, to be generous about it, and his leadership was the main topic of hallway gossip.
But Kenney said he was sorry to hear of the resignation.
“Andrew’s a good friend and very good guy who is in politics for all the right reasons, with buckets of integrity.
“It’s unfortunate he’s faced internal dissent, given what he’s done that others thought impossible, which is to end the Trudeau majority.
“He won the popular vote. He won the largest popular vote of any Conservative leader in Canadian history.
“That is not a record of failure, but of qualified success.”
Many Alberta Conservatives have been hoping ever since the October election that a quick opportunity would open up for Ambrose.
People she speaks to report that she doesn’t say no when the idea of running comes up.
The talk escalated recently with rumors that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might name her ambassador to the U.S.
If true – and even if Ambrose would consider such an obvious political banishing – it suggests how worried the Liberals would be about facing a female Conservative leader with moderate social values.
In a Tweet Nov. 20 Ambrose directly contradicted Scheer and called out his ambiguity on LGBTQ rights.
“I was proud to have been the first Tory leader to march in a Pride Parade,” Ambrose said.
“It’s time to move forward together and show ALL families we have their backs!”
There will be other candidates, of course, possibly including Peter McKay. But for western Conservatives who saw the danger of glossing over social issues in a national election, Ambrose would be an attractive option.
First elected in 2004, she served in eight senior cabinet jobs, from health to status of women, while Stephen Harper was Prime Minister.
Since stepping down as interim Conservative leader and Opposition Leader, she sometimes speaks at Conservative events but otherwise has been very private.
Three years ago, during his final riding Stampede barbecue at Heritage Park, Harper endorsed Kenney as the person to lead the Alberta Progressive Conservatives, and then a united Alberta Conservative movement.
Later Ambrose stood beside Kenney outside the big tent, enthusiastically backing him as she talked to reporters.
There’s little doubt Kenney is already returning the favour.
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