Rona Ambrose expected to resign seat in House of Commons by summer

Voting is currently underway, with the winner to be announced at a convention in Toronto on May 27, where Ambrose is also scheduled to speak.

Ambrose had always intended to stay on as an MP during the transition period, though she is already moving out of the of the Official Opposition leader’s residence of Stornoway.

She was first elected an MP in 2004 and served in several cabinet positions under former Conservative leader Stephen Harper.

But she raised her profile considerably as interim leader and is credited by many MPs and observers with changing the face of the party in the wake of its election defeat.

“Having an interim female leader has opened people’s eyes to the possibility of the Conservative party being something for them,” Lisa Raitt, one of two women in the current leadership race, said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week.

“We got a second look.”

A movement even sprang up to get her to stay on and run for the permanent position, though efforts to change the party’s constitution to allow for that ultimately failed.

Ambrose scored possibly her final victory as interim leader Monday, when the Liberal government decided to support her private member’s bill that would require judges to undergo comprehensive training in sexual assault law.

“I always enjoyed working with Rona Ambrose,” Bruce Heyman, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, posted to Twitter on Monday.

“I wish her well.”

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Rona Ambrose expected to resign seat in House of Commons by summer

Our Community