Ambrose gets A-plus

Speaking of departing interim Conservative Party leader Rona Ambrose, veteran MP Scott Reid said in the National Post: “She’s the best prime minister that Canada never had.”

That praise might seem a tad hyperbolic, but it is fair to say Ambrose’s departure from politics leaves Canadian political life less rich. She inherited a mess in the wake of Stephen Harper’s loss. In a situation where the Conservatives could easily have devolved into warring factions, Ambrose brought strength, collaboration and stability.

She’s so popular that Reid and others started a “draft Rona” movement. But Ambrose never wavered from her original commitment. She was there to help the party get through this transition, and then get out of the way. And that’s exactly what she will do when she leaves politics.

At the same time as she was masterfully uniting her caucus, she was doing her job as an effective Opposition leader. And she led the effort to change the face of the Conservative Party. Intolerance and identity politics almost disappeared. With her leadership, personality and style, she expanded the Conservative tent.

Will Conservatives choose extremism or the big tent? That will confirm whether Ambrose’s efforts have been for good purpose or in vain.

Waterloo (Ont.) Region Record