It was obligatory on Monday for the news media to check with Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose on Prime Minister Trudeau’s announcement of the change in Canada’s role in the partnership against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Rona gave them the obligatory Conservative position. “Shameful,” she said. The news media knew what she would say before she said it. You would think the media could save money by just prerecording a month of statements at a time.
But Rona seems to be enjoying her 15 minutes of fame as the Interim Leader of the Conservative Party. She is an Alberta Libertarian and she is as predictable as an annoyed skunk. She worships at the alter of St. Stephen the Harper—He who could do no wrong.
But St. Stephen is gone—waiting for his private sector reward. Rona has no mentor. She is on her own and on a slippery slope. Not even the last Bobbsey Twin, Calgary MP Jason Kenney, can help her as he wrestles with the questions of his own future.
Yet Rona was Stephen’s go-to girl when he needed someone to walk the walk and talk the talk for his Conservative government. She rode into the hot spots of Stephen’s Cabinet like a knight errant. She braved out an untenable position in Environment and sounded convincing in a mockery of Minister of Health.
As interim leader, she was interesting at first on the talk shows but it soon became apparent that she was not interested in the interviewer’s questions. She brought her own agenda and stuck to it. She made it difficult for the interviewer who tried to cut her off after over-staying her welcome. There are openings these days for more pleasant Conservative spokespeople who can address questions.
Rona is an experienced public relations person with a post-graduate degree in political science (from the University of Calgary, of course). She has over 11 years in parliament behind her and she does know how the place works. You would think she would take better advantage of the situation.
It was obvious on Monday that she resented the betrayal by Trudeau of the Harper position on bombing ISIL. She was judging by old surveys that bombing was supported and considered a safe option by most Canadians. Behind that lipstick smile is one determined politician.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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