On Parliament Hill

Last week was a very interesting one as Conservative Caucus members, both past and present, gathered together in Ottawa.

If was a time to reflect, discuss and share opinions on the past election campaign and to say goodbye to friends and colleagues who were not re-elected on October 19th. We also had the opportunity to hear a speech from our outgoing leader, Stephen Harper, in what was an emotional moment for many in the room.

But most importantly, it was a time to look forward.

Caucus members had the opportunity to vote for an interim leader of the party. While eight candidates put their name forward, only one could be chosen. In the end, former Health Minister Rona Ambrose was elected to take our party forward until a permanent leader is chosen by Conservative members at a leadership convention.

Ms. Ambrose has time and again proven herself to be an effective communicator and decision maker in Ottawa. In her acceptance speech she indicated that she would be very inclusive of the entire caucus and would ensure that we had an effective and strong voice as the official opposition. She noted that she expects to fully utilize all of our caucus members in different roles during her term as interim Leader.

All the candidates rallied around the final decision and came out of the meeting united and with a clear focus on optimism and party renewal. As Conservatives we will take our role as Official opposition seriously and be constructive and effective.

I, along with the re-elected members and 33 new Conservative MPs, will work hard to make sure that Canada remains the best country in the world. Will be a strong opposition.